30/08/2020 Governance In Pakistan | Progress Secretariat

Governance In Pakistan
Pakistan is a democracy of very recent vintage. After several discontinuities in its political history and many
years of military rule, democratic values and institutions are necessarily fragile. Pakistan, also happens to be
among the only four parliamentary democracies among the community of Islamic states. The success of
democratic governance in Pakistan will certainly influence the region and the Islamic world in the years to
come.

The task of governing diverse, often seething large populations is no longer easy or simple. Today’s leaders are
widely recommended to make better and practicable government policies. However, there is no escape from the
adage: “People get the government they deserve’. In the first and the last analysis, it is the people who have to
elect and select their representatives and leaders in a democratic setup.
Governance in Pakistan has been revolving around the personalities and relationship between the key decision
makers within the power structure creating frequent changes in the constitution, instability and repeated military
coup d’etats

Governance in Pakistan from the perspective of the relationship between the development of state institutions
and the decision making styles of key individuals within the power structure. Three military coup d’etats and
frequent changes in Constitution have created instability in the relationship between various institutions of the
state. At the same time, the personalities of key political leaders, civil servants and military chiefs have
contributed to constraining the emergence of a balance between state institutions on the one hand and state and
civil society on the other.
The current national and global scenario of economic crisis and the impact of continued poverty, unemployment
and regional disparity, the increasing polarization of society, rampant corruption, worsening law and order and
continuing terrorism with clausal loss of life and property with failure of state institutions to deal with the crisis
has considerably weakened the governance and consequently the writ of the government. The emerging
dynamics of this change in the balance of power of the state structures has changed the rules of the game, the
nature of political culture and the criminalization of the political processes and the community.

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What Is Good Governance?

Recently the terms "governance" and "good governance" are being increasingly used in
development literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the
root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial
institutions are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms that
ensure "good governance" are undertaken.
This article tries to explain, as simply as possible, what "governance" and "good
governance" means.

Governance
The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put "governance" means: the
process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented).

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Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international

governance, national governance and local governance.

Since governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions
are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors
involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and
informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the
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New Study:
Good governance and access to basic services for the poor
Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level
of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other actors may include influential land
lords, associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, finance
institutions political parties, the military etc. The situation in urban areas is much more complex. Figure 1
provides the interconnections between actors involved in urban governance. At the national level, in addition to
the above actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc. may play a role in
decision-making or in influencing the decision-making process.
All actors other than government and the military are grouped together as part of the "civil society." In some
countries in addition to the civil society, organized crime syndicates also influence decision-making, particularly
in urban areas and at the national level.
Similarly formal government structures are one means by which decisions are arrived at and implemented. At
the national level, informal decision-making structures, such as "kitchen cabinets" or informal advisors may
exist. In urban areas, organized crime syndicates such as the "land Mafia" may influence decision-making. In
some rural areas locally powerful families may make or influence decision-making. Such, informal decision-
making is often the result of corrupt practices or leads to corrupt practices.

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Figure 1: Urban aGood governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented,
accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law.
It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the
most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of

society.

Figure 2: Characteristics of good governance

Participation
Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either
direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that

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representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would
be taken into consideration in decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means
freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand.
Rule of law
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of
human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary
and an impartial and incorruptible police force.
Transparency
Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and
regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be
affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is
provided in easily understandable forms and media.
Responsiveness
Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable
timeframe.
Consensus oriented
There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the
different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole
community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed
for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result
from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community.
Equity and inclusiveness
A society’s well being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel
excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have
opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.
Effectiveness and efficiency
Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while
making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance
also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.
Accountability
Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private
sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders.
Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to
an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be
affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law.

Conslution
From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its
totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However,
to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of
making it a reality.

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