Urgent Transformation Of Pakistan’s Governance System Stressed At PIDE Seminar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2025) The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Thursday organized a seminar titled “Pakistan Governance Roadmap 2025: Civil Service Reform, Now or Never,” bringing together policymakers, academics and students to discuss the urgent need for transforming Pakistan’s governance system.

The seminar, moderated by Dean Policy, PIDE & PD RASTA Dr Faheem Jehangir, was led by Member (Governance) at the Planning Commission of Pakistan Dr Adnan Rafiq, a news release said.

In his keynote, Dr Rafiq declared that civil service reform was no longer optional but a survival imperative.

He said repeated reform efforts since the 1950s have stalled due to political resistance, bureaucratic inertia, and lack of continuity.

Influenced by colonial-era practices and rapidly changing socio-economic requirements, technological penetration, and global disruptions, Pakistan’s bureaucracy needs an urgent upgradation.

At the seminar, as many as 47 recommendations were presented for improving the institutional structure and practices of the civil service to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery.

Dr Rafiq presented a comprehensive Pakistan Governance Roadmap 2025, which envisioned a SMART civil service that was Specialized, Meritocratic, Accountable, Responsive and Trusted.

This shift would replace process compliance with measurable outcomes, domain expertise, and citizen-centric governance.

He said the transformation was structured across five pillars including specialized recruitment exams focusing on critical thinking rather than rote memorization; competitive and advanced training linked to promotions; the creation of a National Executive Service (NES) for senior leadership positions with mandatory lateral entry from the private sector; performance management systems that tie individual goals to ministerial outcomes through KPI-based evaluations and multi-source feedback; and merit-linked compensation, promotions, and contributory pensions.

The roadmap also emphasized institutional strengthening, including modernization of the Federal Public Service Commission through digital platforms and regional outreach, creation of specialized service groups in law, economics, energy, engineering, and planning, and professionalization of ministries through Human Resource Coordinators and Senior Executive Scales.

It further highlighted the importance of stronger federal–provincial coordination through revitalized forums and the empowerment of local governments with devolved authority, revenue mobilization, and inclusive elections to strengthen grassroots democracy.

Adopting STAR principles - Stable, Transparent, Agile, and Responsible governance - the roadmap also introduced sectoral reforms powered by digital transformation.

Initiatives such as the Open PSDP portal, the National Job Portal, and climate-resilient recovery frameworks are designed to enhance transparency, inclusivity, and accountability, while promoting economic growth.

Dr Rafiq argued for separate specialized functions of policy, regulations, and execution within the governance framework, and cautioned that adoption and implementation of the SMART framework may face challenges, including deep-seated cultural resistance within bureaucracy and outdated financial and regulatory practices.

He stressed that sustained political and stakeholder consensus would be critical to ensuring continuity and success.

Dr Rafiq emphasized that reforms could not remain on paper but must be owned, institutionalized, and consistently implemented. He reiterated that Pakistan’s future depended on building a civil service that was agile, citizen-serving, and performance-driven, and that’s what we observe from other successful examples abroad.