Federal Minister for Planning and Development Professor Ahsan Iqbal has emphasized the urgent need to modernize Pakistan\u2019s governance and civil service system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Addressing an international conference on \u201cLocal Realities and Regional Futures: Transforming Public Administration and Management in South Asia\u201d at the Punjab University on Thursday, the minister
\ncalled for a complete transformation in the country\u2019s administrative structure to make it more responsive, transparent, and citizen-centric.
\nProfessor Ahsan Iqbal said that governance in today\u2019s world had become increasingly complex due to technological advances, global interdependence, and changing social expectations. He noted that Pakistan\u2019s population is now younger, urbanized, educated, and digitally connected, with citizens who expect<\/p>\n
governments to be more accountable, participatory, and technology-driven.<\/p>\n
He said the traditional model of democracy \u2014 where citizens voted and then waited for elected representatives to act on their behalf \u2014 is no longer sustainable in the modern age, where people are informed and empowered to participate in real-time decision-making.
\nThe minister pointed out that Pakistan\u2019s current civil service system, inherited from the British colonial era and last revised in 1973, was designed to maintain law and order rather than drive innovation and development. \u201cIt prizes stability over innovation, hierarchy over collaboration, and procedures over performance,\u201d he said. \u201cBut today\u2019s challenges require agility, collaboration, and results-oriented governance.\u201d
\nHighlighting the need for reforms, Ahsan Iqbal said that under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s leadership, the government has re-launched civil service reforms with renewed seriousness. A comprehensive framework, known as the \u201cSMART Civil Service Model,\u201d has been developed to make governance specialized, meritocratic, accountable, rooted in people, and tech-enabled. He explained that the model focuses on specialized recruitment through CSS, performance-based promotions, a new National Executive Service to include experts from the private sector, and the use of technology for efficiency and transparency.
\nThe minister said that governance must shift from process compliance to results delivery, with ministries signing annual performance agreements with the prime minister based on key performance indicators.
\nHe announced that the Federal Public Service Commission is being automated to reduce the recruitment cycle from two years to six months, while data-driven governance is being promoted through the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the National Data Portal.
\nProfessor Ahsan Iqbal also stressed that the roots of good governance are deeply embedded in Islamic teachings, which emphasize justice, accountability, and service to the people.
\nHe recalled that the four caliphs of Islam practiced servant leadership with humility and justice, a model that modern management thinkers now recognize as ideal.
\nThe minister outlined a plan to reform higher education as well, saying that universities must act as think tanks for governance innovation and serve as engines of knowledge-based transformation. He introduced a seven-point performance audit framework for universities, covering academic excellence, research and innovation, academia-industry linkages, community service, technology enablement, corporate governance, and the quality of graduates. \u201cUniversities must not remain ivory towers \u2014 they should extend their knowledge to serve communities and contribute to national progress,\u201d he added.
\nAhsan Iqbal proposed the creation of a South Asian Governance Innovation Network to share regional reform experiences and promote collaboration among neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. He said such cooperation could help build a uniquely South Asian model of governance that is locally rooted yet globally competitive.
\nHe concluded his address by urging the nation\u2019s elite to adopt a spirit of gratitude and responsibility, noting that while the poor continue to show faith in Pakistan\u2019s future, the privileged must also contribute to the country\u2019s progress. \u201cWe owe it to our youth, our taxpayers, and our nation\u2019s future to create a governance system that meets the demands of a changing world,\u201d he said. \u201cLet us work together as Team Pakistan to make this vision a reality.\u201d
\nThe conference was also addressed by Special Assistant to the Government of Bangladesh for Finance Professor Anees Uzzaman, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain, and Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University Professor Dr Muhammad Ali.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Professor Ahsan Iqbal has emphasized the urgent need to modernize Pakistan\u2019s governance and civil service system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Addressing an international conference on \u201cLocal Realities and Regional Futures: Transforming Public Administration and Management in South Asia\u201d at the Punjab University on Thursday, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":442566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-511596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n