Team Republic Policy
The book Fixing the Executive Branch of Government in Pakistan by Tariq Mahmood Awan offers a bold constitutional and policy blueprint for transforming Pakistan’s bureaucratic structure from a colonial legacy into a democratic, federal, and parliamentary system of governance. It argues that real reform must align state institutions with the federal parliamentry constitution of Pakistan, 1973 rather than the outdated imperial mindset that still dominates Pakistan’s administration.
Replacing the Colonial Bureaucratic Model with Democratic Governance
At the heart of the book is the recognition that Pakistan inherited the colonial bureaucratic model of governance designed to control people rather than serve them. This framework, built on centralization and generalist cadre authority, is incompatible with the spirit of a federal parliamentary republic. The book aims to replace this system with a democratic model of governance rooted in constitutional federalism, where elected representatives exercise authority and civil servants act as accountable implementers. Governance, it insists, must flow from the will of the people through their legislatures, not from unelected bureaucratic elites.
Restoring Provincial Control over Key Provincial Offices
A central theme is the argument that the offices of the Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police, and Accountant General are purely provincial posts. Under the Constitution, these positions must fall under provincial jurisdiction, to be filled from provincial civil services rather than through federal appointments. The author traces how the colonial and post-colonial establishment used the 1954 CSP Composition & Cadre Rules to usurp provincial authority, and he calls for their abolition. True administrative federalism, he asserts, requires that each province manage its own top officials, respecting Articles 97, 137 and 240 of the Constitution.
Reforming Civil Services on Five Constitutional Principles
The book sets out five core rules for civil-service reform. First, all services must be constitutionalized by legislation under Articles 240 – 242 read with 140-A, so that each level of government—federal, provincial, and local—has its own legal framework of administration. Second, the structure of services should align with parliamentary governance, where bureaucrats serve ministers and legislatures. Third, cadres must be specialized instead of generalist, developing professional depth in health, education, finance, policing, and other sectors. Fourth, civil-service laws should be codified comprehensively to remove arbitrary executive control. Finally, the terms and conditions of service—including recruitment, training, transfer, promotion, and retirement—must be modernized to ensure merit, transparency, and professional dignity.
Abolishing the Colonial “Generalist” Cadres
The author strongly critiques the survival of colonial generalist services such as the Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly CSP/DMG) & others . These cadres, he contends, are incompatible with modern governance that demands professional expertise. Instead of elite groups rotating through unrelated departments, districts & different tiers of governance, Pakistan should develop domain-specific cadres in public administration, finance, engineering, agriculture, policing, and social sectors. The book argues that specialization enhances accountability and efficiency, while generalism perpetuates privilege and stagnation.
Establishing the Provincial Police Service (PPS)
Since law and order is constitutionally a provincial subject, the book proposes creating a Provincial Police Service in every province. The PPS would replace the current Pakistan Police Service in provincial roles, making policing responsive to elected provincial governments. It would ensure that recruitment, training, and promotions are locally managed, aligning security governance with federal principles. This step, the author believes, would professionalize policing and reduce administrative misuse while preserving democratic oversight.
Creating Local Government Services and Replacing the Deputy Commissioner with Elected Mayors
Another key reform package is the establishment of Local Government Services (LGS) to strengthen grassroots governance. The book recommends abolishing the colonial office of Deputy Commissioner and restoring elected leadership at the district and municipal levels through Mayors or Nazims. Local governments, it argues, are constitutional entities under Article 140-A, and denying them administrative, political & financial powers undermine democracy. The new local services would professionalize municipal management, ensure continuity in development work, and bring government closer to citizens.
Advancing Administrative Reform through Organizational Autonomy
Beyond civil-service structures, the book emphasizes a comprehensive modernization of public administration & organizations. It advocates granting departments greater organizational autonomy, clear performance accountability, and access to modern management tools. Digitalization, human-resource planning, and transparent decision-making are presented as essential instruments for efficient service delivery. The author calls for codified administrative laws and institutional restructuring to replace ad-hoc rule-based control with merit-based management. Rationalizing of public organizations as per schedule IV of the Constitution is critical.
Clarifying the Concept of Political Intervention and Accountability
One of the book’s most critical arguments is that the debate over “political interference” is misunderstood. In a parliamentary system, the political executive has every constitutional right to direct civil servants & administration . Bureaucrats are meant to implement policies decided by elected representatives and remain accountable to legislatures. The author distinguishes legitimate political supervision from personal or partisan meddling, insisting that accountability must operate under the law, not under the personal whims of politicians or bureaucrats. In this view, bureaucratic independence does not mean autonomy from democracy—it means loyalty within constitutional limits.
Building Constructive Relations between Politicians and Bureaucrats
The book develops a practical roadmap for restoring a healthy working relationship among the civil service, political executive, and legislatures. It argues that cooperation—not confrontation—must define this triangle. Bureaucrats must serve as neutral implementers, legislators as policy guides, and ministers as accountable leaders. The author envisions joint training, parliamentary briefings, and legally defined boundaries of authority to end the constant turf wars between bureaucratic and political actors. This partnership, grounded in constitutional accountability, is vital for stable governance.
Implementing Administrative Federalism alongside Fiscal and Legislative Federalism
Finally, the book insists that administrative federalism must be implemented with the same vigor as fiscal and legislative federalism. Devolution, it stresses, is incomplete if bureaucracy remains centralized. Each federating unit must possess its own autonomous service laws, institutions, and decision-making authority. Only when federal, provincial, and local services function within their constitutional domains will Pakistan achieve a coherent system of cooperative governance. Administrative federalism, the book concludes, is the missing pillar of the federation envisioned by the 1973 Constitution.
Broader Vision
In simple terms, the book concludes that Pakistan has a unitary-style bureaucracy even though it is a federal parliamentary state. To make governance work properly, Pakistan must reform its civil service structure so that federal, provincial, and local governments have their own separate bureaucracies, as the Constitution intends. If Pakistan continues with a centralized colonial system of bureaucracy , it will keep facing governance failures — the country must either federalize its bureaucracy or accept a unitary state model, which goes against its constitutional spirit. Pakistan cannot function under a unitary bureaucratic model within a federal parliamentary constitution.
