The Most Popular Chief Minister of Punjab: A Survey by Republic Policy

Tahir Maqsood Chheena, Malik Abdul Latif, Hafeez Ahmed Khan & Barrister Mustafa Chaudhry

A survey is a method of gathering information from a sample of individuals in order to gain insights into various topics such as demographics, preferences, opinions, and behaviours. The process of conducting a survey is meticulous and involves several steps. These include designing the survey questions, selecting the sample, administering the survey, and analyzing the data. Each step is carefully executed to ensure the reliability and validity of the survey’s findings. Surveys can be conducted through various means, including online questionnaires, phone interviews, in-person interviews, and mailed questionnaires. Surveys, a versatile method, are conducted in various fields such as commerce, sociology, psychology, political science, healthcare, and more.

Data collection, a cornerstone of policy decisions, is not just critical, but essential. It provides evidence and insights into the needs, preferences, and behaviors of the population. By collecting and analyzing data from surveys, policymakers can make more informed decisions, develop effective policies, and allocate resources where they are most needed. It helps in understanding the impact of policies and identifying areas for improvement.

The Republic Policy Think Tank, with its distinctive methodology, regularly conducts field surveys to gather data on political trends, governance issues, and human rights as part of its ongoing research efforts. Notably, in a previous project titled “Political Reforms,” the Republic Policy Think Tank pioneered the first-ever constituency-based survey in Pakistan. This innovative survey provided precise and valuable information on political trends and dynamics at the constituency level. The data collected through such surveys serves as a crucial resource for the organization’s research initiatives and informs their work on advocating for policy reforms and improvements in governance.

Governance stands as the focal point of Republic Policy’s endeavours, prompting the organization to undertake surveys and research efforts gauging the performance of the legislature (Parliament), executive (political and bureaucratic apparatus), and judiciary. Recently, Republic Policy conducted a comprehensive survey focusing on the performance of the Chief Ministers of Punjab over the past two decades. The respondents involved in the survey were individuals who closely collaborated with the Chief Ministers. The sample size comprised 500 individuals from the bureaucracy, encompassing civil servants, the police force, and public technocrats. This specific survey aimed to obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of these bureaucratic stakeholders regarding the leadership and governance provided by the Chief Ministers of Punjab.

When it comes to conducting a survey, the questionnaire is indeed a crucial component that can greatly influence the quality of the data collected. In the context of evaluating the performance of Chief Ministers, the questionnaire provided is comprehensive and insightful. The survey respondents will have the opportunity to provide detailed and qualitative feedback on various aspects of the Chief Ministers’ performance, allowing for a nuanced understanding of their leadership and governance.

Questionnaire: Who has been the most functional Chief Minister of Punjab on the following Indicators?

The respondents were asked to provide feedback on as many as ten indicators. The questionnaire covers a wide range of indicators, from managing the cabinet and implementing policies to improving the provincial economy. Each indicator is meticulously designed to assess the Chief Minister’s effectiveness in different areas of governance. By seeking ratings on these specific indicators, the survey can generate valuable insights into the Chief Ministers’ strengths and areas for improvement across various dimensions of their leadership.

Moreover, the qualitative nature of the questionnaire prompts respondents to provide subtle feedback beyond a simple numerical rating. This allows for the collection of detailed and rich qualitative data, including specific examples, accounts, and perspectives that can provide a deeper understanding of the Chief Ministers’ performance.

In addition, the questionnaire demonstrates a focus on reform initiatives and institution-building, reflecting a comprehensive approach to evaluating leadership beyond short-term performance indicators. This is crucial for understanding the long-term impact of the Chief Ministers’ governance and their contributions to institutional development within the province.

Overall, the questionnaire is meticulously structured and encompasses a diverse set of indicators that are highly relevant to assessing the performance of Chief Ministers. It is poised to yield valuable qualitative insights that can significantly inform policy decisions and governance improvements. It covers the indicators of managing legislature, legislators & legislation. It also covers the performance in leading cabinet, bureaucracy & public technocracy. The questionnaire covers the indicators of reforms, institutional development, raising standards of human resource development, and infrastructural development.

The survey sought feedback from a diverse and representative pool of 500 respondents, including civil servants, police officers, and technocrats from various departments such as health, agriculture, irrigation, C&W, TMA, and Local Governments. This diverse representation ensures that the survey’s findings reflect a comprehensive and inclusive view of the bureaucratic sentiment towards the Chief Ministers. The individuals being evaluated in the survey included Shahbaz Sharif, Pervez Elahi, Usman Buzdar, Mohsin Naqi, and Maryum Nawaz Sharif.

The survey’s findings carry significant weight, revealing that Shahbaz Sharif received the highest level of endorsement, with 41 percent of respondents considering him the best chief minister. This data provides a clear and valuable picture of the bureaucratic sentiment towards the performance of Chief Ministers in Punjab. Following closely was Pervez Elahi, who secured an endorsement from 23 percent of the respondents. Mohsin Naqvi garnered support from 16 percent of the respondents, while the current chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, received the backing of 11 percent. Usman Buzdar, who is favored by Imran Khan, obtained support from only 9 percent of the bureaucracy.

The majority of the bureaucratic respondents conveyed that Shahbaz Sharif effectively utilized the bureaucracy. There was a notable plan for the strategic posting of bureaucracy during his tenure. Additionally, Shahbaz Sharif empowered politicians in his cabinet, exemplified by figures like Rana Sana Ullah. This indicated a combination of political and bureaucratic empowerment alongside merit-based postings within the bureaucracy. It is worth noting that Shahbaz Sharif demonstrated adeptness in controlling the bureaucracy, as his vision and leadership capacity surpassed that of the bureaucracy. However, it was recognized that he did not prioritize reform initiatives.

Pervez Elahi is known for his strong political acumen, having empowered politicians and facilitated the bureaucracy. With a wealth of experience in district politics and administration, he has played a significant role in infrastructural development, despite criticisms of favouritism and nepotism. On the other hand, Mohsin Naqvi, not a traditional politician, has still made contributions to infrastructure development. Respondents highlighted his strong decision-making capacity and prompt handling of files as notable strengths. As for Maryam Nawaz Sharif, she appears to be in the grip of bureaucracy, as her primary challenge lies in empowering her cabinet and politicians. Notably, some of her prominent cabinet members, such as Uzma Bukhari and Marium Aurangzeb, are unelected. Furthermore, her governance is perceived to focus more on managing public perception than on genuine grassroots work. Usman Buzdar, on the other hand, is currently the least endorsed chief minister of Punjab by a significant margin. Although he increased the executive allowance for the bureaucracy, his working capacity lacks endorsement from the bureaucracy. Many bureaucrats believe that, for the first time in Punjab’s history, postings were bribed by his cabinet members and others through favouritism. Additionally, he is perceived to lack the capacity to act as the chief executive.

The survey details will be explained on the Republic Policy YouTube channel at the following address. Please subscribe to the channel for our quality content.

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