Team Republic Policy
The executive is the central branch of a government. It is the most powerful organ of the government, although other organs, legislature and judiciary, are also critically significant. The political executive is the head of the executive branch of the government, whereas the bureaucracy or administration is the bureaucratic part of the executive. Thus, the political executive is meant to lead the bureaucratic executive. In democracies, the political executive is always elected. In the parliamentary form of governance, it is further elected by the legislature, unlike the presidential form of governance, where the executive is elected directly.
According to Merriam-Webster, a political executive heads a government, administration and executive organization. Political executives are elected government officials who determine and formulate government policies, and bureaucracy and administration implement them. They include heads of state and government leaders, such as presidents, prime ministers, premiers, chancellors, chief ministers, ministers and other chief executives, and many secondary figures, such as cabinet members and state ministers, councillors, and agency heads.
A political executive is critical in a parliamentary form of government because it forms the government and requires the support or approval of the legislature or parliament. In parliamentary systems, the executive is responsible to the elected legislature and must maintain its confidence. The executive also implements the laws that the legislature and government policies have framed. Therefore, it is attributed that the quality of the political executive determines the quality of the governance in a country. Then, it is even more crucial in the parliamentary form of governance where the political executive should be professional and politically popular because it has to win constituencies to eventually become a part of the executive.
Why is it critical to develop a functional political executive in Pakistan?
Article One of the constitution declares Pakistan a federation, and Schedule IV empowers the federal and provincial governments with specific powers. Then, there is a constitutionally protected local government system. Hence, there are three specialized governments in Pakistan. Accordingly, Pakistan requires a functional political executive to run the affairs of the government. Due to the parliamentary form of governance in Pakistan, political parties prefer electable over professional legislators, thus ensuring the lack of quality legislators cum political executives.
In this political culture, where the electable is the legislator, electing quality and professional executives is almost impossible. Then, it is the primary reason that the political executive remains subservient to the permanent executive in all aspects of administration, causing bad governance and a monopoly of bureaucracy. Therefore, Pakistan’s political executive must be functional, visionary and more talented than the bureaucracy and administration to impose the people’s will. One of the main challenges of Pakistani politics is to produce quality and professional political executives. Political parties should prioritize allocating tickets to professionals who are also politically competent to win constituencies. According to the latest research by republicpolicy.com, it is assessed that Pakistan needs 50 professional political executives at the federal level, 150 at the provincial level and 500 at the local government levels to ensure quality governance. Thus, all large political parties in Pakistan should develop at least 1000 professional experts among political executives.
During the research by republicpolicy.com about civil service, administrative and political reforms in Pakistan, it has been assessed that there are only a few professional and visionary political executives in Pakistan. Political parties in Pakistan are cults, not organized political parties. Therefore, political growth is difficult for political workers. The political leaders, with their kiths and kins, are the political executive. Pakistan has only a few quality professional political executives in this context, and Mr Ahsan Iqbal might be leading the list. He has performed as a politician, legislator and political executive.
Mr Ahsan Iqbal is an MNA from Narowal. He won the NA-78 by taking 159651 votes against PTIs Ibrar ul Haq, who secured 88250 in 2018. It should be the most difficult constituency for Ahsan Iqbal. It is primarily a Jaat constituency, but Ahsan Iqbal wins it being a Rajpoot. Why is he able to do it? He has worked in the constituency socially, politically and administratively; therefore, most people vote for him. In the beginning, Ahsan Iqbal would win being a PMLN candidate, but now, PMLN will win it due to the candidature of Ahsan Iqbal. He has also been instrumental in transforming the Narowal infrastructurally. The development of Narowal in the education, health, and developmental sectors is due to the hard work of Ahsan Iqbal. Therefore, Ahsan Iqbal is an example of how one can win a rural constituency, even if one’s tribe is not in great numbers. The other legislators may also learn how to develop rural constituencies to win elections from Ahsan Iqbal. Politicians may also see how cities should be developed from the development of Narowal.
The primary objective of the legislator is to contribute to the law-making, policy-making and legislation. Most of the legislators in Pakistan need to learn the pros and cons of the legislation. Therefore, the quality of Pakistani legislatures in legislating laws could be better. As a legislator, the contribution of Ahsan Iqbal is also qualitative. Then, as a minister, he has been performing for the last two governments. He has been instrumental in policy formulation, execution and leading his ministry portfolios. His performance in dealing with and leading bureaucracy is accomplished; therefore, he has a better success rate than other ministers. The political executive must be visionary, innovate, and understand international developing trends and planning. The performance of Ahsan Iqbal in leading his ministry is satisfactory compared to other political executives.
Lastly, the people should realize that the future of Pakistan depends upon the quality of politicians, not bureaucracy. It should not be a political taboo to praise and appreciate the politicians in Pakistan. Republic Policy will continue to appraise the good performance of politicians as good politicians are present in almost all political parties. The performance of Ahsan Iqbal has been viewed. The politicians may learn from his success; he is a successful politician who wins a political constituency, a legislator who contributes to legislation and policy-making and a ministerial material who leads and control the bureaucracy to perform. Therefore, each politician in Pakistan should have political, legislative and executive skills to succeed in a parliamentary form of governance.
