Major issues and challenges of policy making in Pakistan

Submitted by: Atta Muhammad Kamboh-1203

Submitted to: Rizwan Sherwani

Subject: Public administration

Semester-3rd Year-2

Department of political science

Government College Lahore

  Introduction

Public administration has been a significant subject since many ages. It has been coined
by two words ‘public’ and ‘administration’. The administration world is derived from
the Latin word ‘administere’ which means to ‘care for or to look after’ and the public
means ‘group of peoples’. So, the whole words Public administration may be defined
as,

‘Public administration is the implementation of government policies which are

made to look after the public affairs in obtaining the understanding of government
and its relationship with the society’.

Public administration is all about the governing of state’s affairs particularly issues regarding
the governance, resource distribution, upholding the legal status and order, assurance of the
protection of general interests of its peoples, keep regulations in administrative functions
and official issues which are policy implementation and its formulation. It is all covered by
this broader subject. Public administration also operates industries and development sectors in
order to provide wide range of employment and to sustain the economic growth of the country.

In many democratic countries, democracy and public administration have a relationship in

terms of administrative functions. It has both similar priorities when it comes to the question of
fundamental rights of the peoples and its protection. But there must strain the limitations
between their powers and functions in order to have smooth functions. The book ‘Democracy
and Public administration in Pakistan’ wrote by Dr. Amna Iman expresses that the decisions
regarding policy formulation should not be at the hands of elected members. Because it could
produce instability in the smooth functioning and damages the whole policy making process. It
is thought that a particular group would make their own beneficial policy when it has been
given a full authority to decide the fate of governance. So, there must be a separation of
power between different organizations or institutions of the state in order to cater welfare
policies formulation.
Public policy is the core branch of public administration academia. It is defined as ‘a set of
action of the government to resolve the issue faced by the nation in the country’. It is a tool
or a regulation formulated by the governments to address those societal problems which
usually appear in areas of education, politics or other vital sector of the state. Public policy
making is a very complex process. It consists of four elements which are mainly kept in view
while making any policy for the smooth functioning in administration. There are follow as,

1. Problem identification
2. Policy formulation
3. Policy analysis
4. Policy implementation

Every country makes public policies to adopt a viable mechanism for the smooth functioning of
the state. The executive branch of the government is mainly responsible for developing the
public policy altogether with federal, provincial and local governments.

 Importance of public administration

The importance of public administration cannot be neglected. If the administration of any state
is well functioning, it means the state is at the rails of progress and growth. All policies are
implemented and catered by the administration on its peoples. The issues of public welfare,
needs communication and implementation are all managed by the government through its
trained public officials. It is the main organ of the state. But unfortunately, the administration
is totally dashed in Pakistan. The process of implementation and its policies are getting failed
and becoming worse day by day since its independence. No policy was ever formulated for its
public welfare. There have been many governments in different forms like dictatorship,
parliamentary and presidential. But no one was ever equipped with the sense of welfare of
its peoples and the state. Everyone who got into power initiated policies for their personal
interests of their government and its team. The pity-nation has been deployed by its masters
since its hours of independence. That is the reason that no policy and no system couldn’t
flourish in Pakistan. If isn’t taken care of it, it may take Pakistan into complete compulsion of
its conceivability.
  Major issue in policy making in Pakistan

The elected government of every democratic country represents their peoples by making
good public policies. But unfortunately, Pakistan has failed to develop an effective
mechanism for policy making and implementation since its independence. There had not
been taken proper steps which could lead a country towards its prosperity. If there has been
made any public policy in different governmental periods then it was made for the vested
interests of selective group. This has resulted from a lack of vision and leadership, wide spread
corruption, and weak relationship between the community and institutions.

There are many factors which create many issues and challenges in the application of proper
public policy which are following as,

1. The Governance structure has been a great obstacle in the formulation of public
policies in Pakistan. The lacking of proper accountability system, misuse of
authoritative power and corruption are serious governance issues which not only
affect the implementation process but also damage the policy making development
programs. So, this kind of weak governing structure needs to be addressed in order to
have proper policy formulation. Everything should be vested their rights and power
according to the constitution of Pakistan. If it is tried to cross limitations by some
institution, it should be brought at the court of law.

2. Pakistan is a developing country. It doesn’t have enough resources which can better
contribute in running a state’s affairs. The population of Pakistan is getting increase
day by day and it doesn’t have enough resources to fulfill the basic necessities of
increasing population. Since its independence, there have been observed a great
increase rate of population which is from 50 million to 200 millions in this short
interval of time. Sometimes, Pakistan had to go to IMF and the World Bank to meet its
basic needs.
The Public policy of Pakistan has greatly linked to financial aid. Policies have to lay down with
the prescribed advices of the donors. These include the International Monetary Fund, the
World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as well as bilateral donors. Local pressure
groups, including significant industrialists and landlords also influence policies likely to impact
their businesses. There has to look after their personal interests while making public policy
with their defined dictations. These dictations influence the policy making process in Pakistan.
Government finds itself disappointed before their will and frequent advices.
3. Leadership is the main factor behind good policymaking, its application and
implementation. Since its establishment, no proper process for making public policy
was adopted in Pakistan. In democratic system of the country, the political leadership
has a key role in initiating a productive public policy for the benefit of the people but
unfortunately, incompetency of political leadership and their self-interests has
destroyed the public policy process in Pakistan. The public policy is mainly formulated
by the legislatures which are national and provincial assemblies. Unfortunately, in
case of Pakistan 90% of parliamentarians are not well educated to possess a vision for
the solution of problems and it possesses less understanding in adopting the proper
process of policy making. Top policy making positions are often decided in view of
party political considerations. The sense of public policy is lacking behind from this
kind of maltreated exercises. Political parties are often tempted to give important
policy making positions to party workers to keep them happy and ensure their loyalty.
People close to parliamentarians and ministers thus have a high likelihood to be
appointed to decision-making positions without having the relevant expertise. This
kind of approach has been weakening the foundations of Pakistan and denying its
peoples from their self-right to be prosperous.

4. In its internal affairs, the economy of Pakistan has been encountering insecurity, high
price rises, and negative balance of payment, escalating unemployment, reduced
public checks and mounting poverty. Political instability in the country has contributed
seriously to regretful circumstances. The management of public financing remained to
a greater extend under control of the military and its technocrats, who joining hands
with the military entered the field of policymaking. With most of them belonging to
the background of international financial institutions, they guarantee solution to the
problems of Pakistan rather than a policy of public participation. Pakistan has been
providential in having adequate bureaucrats who have served central banks and
ministers of economy. The government only needs to pay attention to suggestion
given by them and pave policy.

5. Since the improper implementation of the 2001 Order of Local Government, the
district administrations delivered uncertainty in the responsibilities of the local and
district governments which led towards implementation of malfunctioning and
indecisions.
6. Bureaucracy is considered the backbone of the state. Every policy especially its
implementation is enforced by this important organ. It has got more broad and
advanced in their functions now. The responsibilities of Policy making regarding public
issues have been handed over to this organ. But with the increasing of its work, it
demands more capable officials to counter this task. Everything is getting more
difficult with the increase of population and its demand. The historical analyses of
Pakistan exposes that presently civil servants have become exceedingly inept and
controlling. Their politicization damaged their recital many a times. Many a times,
they even lacked the necessary administrative power on issues like those of
controlling prices, elimination of encroachments and imposition of the municipal laws.
The civil servants are getting more incompetence in terms of their power. With its
power lacking, it get to have many de-abilities in performing their suitable functions.

7. Policies related to good governance have been compromised to a large extend

because of policies having been made on predilections. The politics of Pakistan have
primarily remained in the hands of interest groups which have included smaller
factions of the elected official, great businessmen, civil and military representatives
and the feudal. The end result is an approach founded on their interests towards
governance and a failure of institutional building capabilities. Personalized decision
making at the expense of power has dominated the well-planned process of
institutionalization. Furthermore, continuous altering political regimes have had a
damaging effect in the process of policy making. Especially, during the period of the
1990’s, when the new government came into power it immediately discarded the
strategy and project of its predecessor. In general, policy implementation takes more
time, henceforth any discontinuity before they get established is to result in greater
losses than benefits.

8. The influence of political parties or political governments is limited in policy making

process of the country due to their weak position. The low knowledge base, lack of
experience and low level of skills and expertise of political elites have further made
their position weakened in the policy making process of Pakistan. Political
governments of Pakistan in every era mainly rely on bureaucracy for policy making
due to their expertise, skills and knowledge base in which political elite is lacking. It
has further strengthened the position of bureaucracy in policy process of the country.
This weak structure is also a grim issue in the formulation of public policy making
effectiveness.
9. The extra-ordinary involvement of judiciary is a very grim issue. The whole policy
process making passes through various stages before being implemented. If is there
survey tried during making process. The judiciary involves in it when the survey got
failed somehow. Process fails and continues. After its failure, another process is
adopted to get better results before implementation of policies. But this judiciary
involvement mostly affects the whole policy making process.

10. Intra-provincial conflicts are also one of the major challenges in Pakistan. Every
province has its own government. Every provincial government works for their own
provinces. But when some province starts the policy making for its own peoples. The
other peoples get start criticism that this policy is particularly being initiated for this
particular province. That it is being tried to favor particular province peoples. So, this
somehow troubles a lot.

11. Poverty is also one of the major issues which damage the policy making process in
Pakistan. There is usually requires a sum amount of money to continue policy making
process. For example, if it is initiated a policy of putting navigation system or tracking
system in the cars of officials. So, that they would use it for the family comfort which
has been provided to them for during their duty or official times. If it is need to be put
tracking system in cars of officials. It requires a great sum of money which is mostly a
tough job to arrange this sum of money in Pakistan due to its poverty or instable
economic conditions. So, this policy would somehow it can be said that it would flop.

 Conclusion

Many things have noted and observed in these particular defined points that how these
challenges and issues not only damages the whole policy making process in Pakistan but
it weakens the foundations which is needed to be called as strongest state among the
other nations. If we are to generate a strong policy for our own peoples with a kindled
heart, so these issues and challenges should be needed to address with a sharp sense of
indication and with the passion of patriotism and loyalty with nation. Laws should be
made to cater the whole public policy making process and those policies or especially
hurdles this process should be removed. With this passion of honesty and sincerity to
our peoples, there is nothing to be dealt which is said to be impossible. May Pakistan
live long!