Politicization of Bureaucracy in Pakistan free essay sample

Human societies have been gone through a drastic shift from a very simple life (stone age),to a very complex life, which is now termed as Post-Modern societies or states. Due to this transition, systems had evolved into formal and well organized manner. Now for smooth functioning of a society or state, institute of Government is needed. So Governments are key elements of our social lives and their actions routinely shape the lives of individuals. Governments, which ever political systems they belong to; are not a single entity rather are composed of many departments, institutions and agencies; which jointly work together to ensure smooth running of society. Today the concept of governance carries an important ground. It is the use of political authority and use of control over policy matters to achieve the goal of people’s welfare (K. Sumrin, 2008). The main objective of good governance is to achieve harmony of society, rule of law, economic stability and improved life standards of people and this is done bf devising policies. We will write a custom essay sample on Politicization of Bureaucracy in Pakistan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although, policy making is attributed to elected representatives in a democratic form of governance however, the task of implementation however remains attributed to the bureaucratic machinery which forms the lifeblood of administration. Bureaucracies form an integral part of the government and they do a lot more than just execution of policies. A bureaucrat can be the secretary of a ministry, the CEO of a state enterprise, Director General or a street level bureaucrat such as welfare departments, lower courts, legal services offices, and other agencies. To which ever cadre they belong, bureaucrats have a crucial role to play in delivering governance In short, bureaucracy in the developing countries are seen as engine of growth, development and an agent of change. Characteristics of Bureaucracy: The term bureaucracy was firstly coined by Max Weber for formal organizations concerned with efficiency. It is defined as: â€Å"An organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently. † There are following six key elements of the ideal bureaucratic organization identified by Max Weber: Specialization Hierarchy of offices Rules and regulations Technical competence Impersonality Formal, written communications All these characteristics were mean to promote efficiency by carefully hiring workers and limiting the unpredictable effects of personal taste and opinion. Considering the ideal model of Weberian bureaucracy the legal-rational bureaucracy is focused to compliance to the direction from the political representatives of the people. State of bureaucracy in Pakistan: Pakistan had a small bureaucracy at the time of independence. However in the past five decades it has grown and expanded and become a fairly large and amorphous lot. Federal government employs over 5 lac civil servants. Out this 90 percent are between Grades 1–15, while 10 percent are in Grades 16–22. Of these the CSS officers comprise around 5 percent. After studying literature on the nature and role of bureaucracy in Pakistan, it shows that it is far from the ideal model of Webers bureaucracy which brings efficiency in governance process. Literature suggests that the nature and function of bureaucracy depends majorly on level of socio-economic development and political system of the society. But in the case of Pakistan where politics is a function of Patronage, bureaucracy remains plagued with institutional decline and their compliance generally comes from coercive (in case of autocratic regimes) and negotiable (in case of democratic regimes) means (S. Saeed, 1999). Research Problem: By considering the importance of the role of bureaucracy for promoting peaceful atmosphere in the society and its politicized nature in Pakistan this research aims to investigate the following problem: â€Å"Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been highly politicized with every change of government which lowered its capacity to maintain law and order for keeping peaceful atmosphere in the society. † Objectives: To analyze the importance of the role of bureaucracy for maintenance of law and order in Pakistan. To find out the reasons and impact of politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan. To find out some solutions in order to sort out the issue. Research Methodology: By keeping in view the nature and objectives of the study, qualitative research approach using grounded theory method of unstructured interviews was used. Convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample of the study. Total of 4 key informants were selected based on equal gender representation, 2 male respondents and 2 female respondents. Data was collected through 3 personal face to face interviews and 1 telephonic interview to get all possible facts pertaining to the problem. An unstructured interview guide (see appendix 1) was developed to remain focus on the problem being investigated. In addition, responses were recorded by using the note-taking technique to create a positive environment for interviews and to keep the respondents at ease. The maximum time for conducting interviews remained between 60-75 minutes. After gathering the data, it was carefully analyzed by using the technique of â€Å"Thematic Analysis†. Responses were organized around the common themes which were derived out of the thematic analysis. Data Analysis: This section includes the transcripts along with the analysis, and interpretation of the data gathered by in-depth interviews of key informants. As discussed above data is thematically analyzed to get the deeper insight of the problem. Along with it Transcripts of interviews are also included. Personal profile of Interviewees: The 4 in-depth interviews were conducted 2 from males and 2 from females’ respondents. There personal profile along with the type of interview and time duration is given in the table below: Personal Information of Respondents Name Gender Professional status Time duration of interview Mode of Interview Dr. Zikria Zakar Male Dean of faculty of Social Sciences,Punjab University 57 minutes Face to face Ms. Habiba Rana Female Assistant director (LDA) grade-18 65 minutes Face to face Anonymous* Female Civil servant(grade 21) 75 minutes Face to face Naik Muhammad Khan Male Secretary public welfare Punjab 45 minutes Telephonic Transcripts Transcript of Dr. Zikria Zakars Interview [Q-1] In your opinion, what is the Importance of the role of bureaucracy? â€Å"Bureaucracy has a very crucial role in the governance itself because we cannot de-link the state from the governance process. An efficient bureaucracy is imperative to advance good governance. The primary function of bureaucracy is the execution and enforcement of the laws made by the legislature and policies decided by the political executive. Besides this the other important functions are: Carrying out administration, offering policy advice, articulating interests and maintaining political stability. â€Å"I think to run the administration of a country nicely, a band of capabl  officers are required. In Pakistan, bureaucracy has always been an elite service. The bureaucrats are rich, highly privileged and in many ways more powerful than most politicians of our country. † [Q-2] Do you think that Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been politicized? Give some examples. â€Å"Yes, most of the bureaucrats are de-facto party sympathizers and are guided by unofficial political a ffiliations rather than the indifference their jobs require†. [Q-3] In your opinion, what are the main reasons for politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan? Well in my opinion, the main reasons for this dilemma are: â€Å"We did not do any serious efforts to manage our national affairs due to which we are facing a huge number of problems in all spheres of life and this bureaucratic inertia is one of them. Our bureaucracy is always willing to accept under -the- table payments. I admit that not all people are corrupt; obviously few are here to help the people, but usually â€Å"side lined†. â€Å"Similarly poor accountability mechanism makes it extremely difficult to challenge bureaucrats when there are disagreements. † â€Å"Another reason is the state of affairs in the country is characterized by rampant corruption at all levels leading to a break down in the rule of law and lack of accountability all around. All these things lead to collapse of our governance structure. And I strongly believe that this failure is the result of public bureaucracy that has failed to perform because they are managerially incompetent and lacking in accountability. † â€Å"There is no transparency in the functioning of bureaucracy. No one knows who is responsible for what. This has provided the ideal climate for corruption and allowing the politicization of the bureaucrats. † [Q-4] What are the consequences of this politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"It is quite obvious that such sympathies cause a conflict of public and personal interests and which significantly leads towards poor performance as well as increase in level of corruption in the form of embezzlement, abuse of power and extortion etc. † [Q-5] What possible measures can be taken to resolve this issue of politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"Well I think, the political leadership must do their own job of establishing policy and holding public service managers accountable for their wrong actions. Although, I know this will face tough challenges but it should be the first step. † Which sort of challenges? â€Å"Like to create political consensus. † â€Å"I think if we want any kind of reforms in bureaucracy, there is a need to define the whole idea of public value and then re-inculcated in the cycle of bureaucracy. As we have lost this value†. â€Å"Bureaucrats have become masters of obfuscation in our country so things cannot continue as they are. That is why there is a need of immediate downsizing of bureaucracies to reduce the government payroll and also to improve efficiency†. Transcript of Ms. Habibas interview [Q-1] In your opinion, what is the Importance of the role of bureaucracy? â€Å"It is quite true that state functions are dependent on political parties, bureaucratic administration, judiciary and the military so whenever one of them fails, the next in line takes its position of command. It is usually taught that bureaucracy and its functions leads towards more efficient results but as far as my personal experience is concerned, honestly I did not see any practical significance of all these functions rather in my opinion, they have become the main obstacles in smooth running of day to day work†. [Q-2] Do you think that Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been politicized? Give some examples. â€Å"Yes it is very much true that bureaucracy has been highly politicized and this state machinery and perks are used for private use and interests. State funds are exploited for private purposes. Every political party tried their best to appoint bureaucrats of their own choice on all those important positions which can have any kind of direct or indirect influence on government†. â€Å"Appointment of Chairman of NAB, IGs, and the most recent example is the termination of chairman of NADRA etc. There are various such examples around us†. [Q-3] In your opinion, what are the main reasons for politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan? â€Å"I strongly believe that political leadership feeble nature allowed the bureaucrats to take over the reins of the country. Such self-centered politicians open floodgates of opportunities for institutional breaches. It is a usual practice that junior officers are promoted out of turn to burden them with favors, which they later return to their political benefactors†. â€Å"As i said earlier, that our political parties and leaders created this culture of favoritism and political affiliation in bureaucracy. Now it has become a norm to use bureaucrats for personal interests. On the other hand, bureaucracies themselves are inclined towards personal gains in term of promotions and money etc. So both sides are equally responsible for administrative inefficiency. What are the consequences of this politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"All the negative results are in-front of us including poor situation of law and order, extensive corruption in national projects, destruction of infrastructure and inefficiency of all major public organizations etc. All these are the product of bureaucratic mess†. [Q-5] What possible measures can be taken to resolve this issue? â€Å"I do not think any measure can be taken in the situation where everyone is involved in corruption in one way to another. They delay major projects of national interest just to serve personal interests. We need a revolutionary kind of reforms both in political as well as in bureaucratic structure. All setup should be replaced by the best talent, regardless of political antecedent†. Transcript of 18th grade Civil servants Interview (Respondents profile is not provided to ensure anonymity according to agreement) [Q-1] In your opinion, what is the Importance of the role of bureaucracy? â€Å"In developing countries, bureaucracy is considered to be an engine of good governance and development as along with other public institutions, it was expected to provide leadership, order and stability in the country. In modern political systems, bureaucracy is expected to ensure continuity of policies, political order, and stability, uphold rule of law, and promote economic development and cultural cohesion. [Q-2] Do you think that Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been politicized? Give some examples. â€Å"Yes a lot of political interference peeped into the bureaucratic structure, causing negative impact on administration and governance. The government servants could play a positive role in establishing good governance in the country only if they had a sense of security. It is possible only if they have assurance that no adverse action would be taken against them for non-compliance of any illegal order or direction of his superiors or political heads†. â€Å"The government had established the National Accountability Bureau with a view to eradicating corruption and corrupt practices and hold accountable all those persons accused of such practices. However, it has failed to perform its functions to the expectation of the general public because the concerned officials of NAB did succumb to the external or internal pressures. Resultantly, the large sums of public money, illegally plundered, could not be recovered, This is only one example; our history is full of such political interferences. [Q-3] In your opinion, what are the main reasons for politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan? â€Å"Because of favoritism, nepotism and also due to exploitation of the government employees through their appointments, removals and promotions. In Pakistan the appointment and removal of civil servants always remain politically motivated. All these help to serve their personal interests†. [Q-4] What are the consequences of this politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"Consequences are quite obvious â€Å"It triggered the lowering of standards, violation of principles of good administration, thus paving way for nepotism, and political interference, leading to poor governance, maladministration and indeed corruption. Can you please identify some ways of corruption in our bureaucracies? All forms of misuse of authority should be seen as corruption, these mainly include: violation of formal standard operating procedures, appeasing the power elite, unnecessary government expenditure, nepotism, bribery and illegal financial kick-backs for granting tenders. What possible measures can be taken to resolve this issue of politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"It is necessary that best talent of country be attracted to civil services. Since bureaucracy has been so notorious for its political role, most of educated class avoids taking the competitive exam. They instead prefer the private sector and multinational firms as they not only pay well but also do not require dependence on any patronage for career advancement†. â€Å"Another measure which should be taken without delay is the strengthening of a system of accountability and procedural control†. â€Å"I also think that Public Service Commission must be fairly autonomous†. Transcript of Mr. Naik Muhammad Khans interview [Q-1] Do you think that Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been politicized? Give some examples. â€Å"Yes, since the very first regime of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, several key bureaucrats showed a readiness for increasing their role in political affairs. Individuals such as Malik Ghulam Muhammad and Iskander Mirza who ascended to the apex of political power in Pakistan originally hailed from the bureaucracy and lacked democratic credentials†. In your opinion, what are the main reasons for politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan? â€Å"An absence of competent and assertive political leadership creates space for other actors to intervene on the pretext that the country needs to be saved from anarchy and corruption. Both the bureaucracy, and the military of Pakistan, has used this vacuum created by the political leadership whenever it seemed convenient to them†. [Q-3] What are the consequences of this politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"A politicized bureaucracy is fertile ground for nepotism, jobbery, financial corruption and other forms of misuse of authority. The outcome of all this is inevitably a situation where merit, honesty and diligence are compromised making the functioning of bureaucracy significantly less effective and efficient†. [Q-4] What possible measures can be taken to resolve this issue of politicization of bureaucracy? â€Å"Politicians must lead from the front; they must practice, promote and enforce strict non-interference in order to bring on track actors belonging to political and administrative domains of governance. Furthermore, better accountability should be ensured so that misuse of office can be curbed and a constructive work-ethic could be harnessed†. Thematic Analysis Due to qualitative nature of research, data is analyzed thematically. Researcher read the transcripts again and again in order became familiar with respondents opinions and explanations regarding the topic and hence identified the following themes from the data: First theme: Importance of the role of bureaucracy It is interpreted through the analysis of in-depth interviews that all the respondents were of the view that bureaucracy plays a significant role in the state structure. An efficient bureaucracy is imperative to advance good governance. E. g. Dr. Zikria said â€Å"I think to run the administration of a country nicely, a band of capable officers are required. † Similarly according to Ms. Habiba â€Å"It is quite true that state functions are dependent on political parties, bureaucratic administration, judiciary and the military † Similar views were shared by another respondent who said that â€Å"Bureaucracy is considered as an engine of good governance. † Second theme: Politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan Analysis of responses shows that all the four respondents shared this opinion that in Pakistan, it is clearly evident that bureaucracy has been highly politicized. It lacks neutrality and indifference that their jobs require. While giving opinion Dr. Zikria said that â€Å"Yes, most of the bureaucrats are de-facto party sympathizers and are guided by unofficial political affiliations. † According to Habiba Rana â€Å"Every political party tried their best to appoint favorite officer on all those positions which can have any kind of direct or indirect influence on government. † Second female respondent argued that â€Å"A lot of political interference peeped into bureaucratic structure, causing negative impacts on administration and governance. † Same views were also shared by Mr. Naik by saying â€Å"since the very first regime of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, several key bureaucrats showed a readiness for increasing their role in political affairs. † Third theme: Reasons and consequences of politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan It is interpreted from the responses that poor accountability mechanism, managerial incompetency, lack of transparency in bureaucratic functions and the culture of favoritism are the main factors for politicization. For example while answering the question related to reasons for politicization of bureaucracy Ms. Habiba said that â€Å"it’s become norm to use bureaucrats for personal use on the other hand, bureaucrats themselves are inclined towards gaining benefits † Thus it is interpreted that all these reasons leads towards negative consequences or impacts on states functioning because politicized bureaucracy provides a fertile ground for nepotism, jobbery, financial corruption and other forms of misuse of authority. The common ways of corruption which highlighted by most of respondents were appeasing the power elite, bribery, illegal financial kick-backs for granting tenders, misuse of authority, embezzlement, allocation of state land to private interests, before time promotions and illegal perks etc. Fourth theme: Possible Measures All the respondents came up with their own recommendations in order to sort out this issue. Some common ideas were as: Revolutionary kinds of reforms are needed in both political and bureaucratic structure. The best talent, regardless of political antecedent must be employed. A system of accountability and procedural control must also be strengthened. It is important to mention here that no major differences in the opinions were find regarding the politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan which lowered its capacity to maintain law and order for keeping peaceful atmosphere in the society. Conclusion: It is concluded from the analysis of responses that all were in the view that bureaucracy has a very crucial role in the governance itself. But sadly, Politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan is the biggest menace, which plagues governance and both politicians and bureaucrats are implicit in the crime. It is the need of time to bring reforms in bureaucratic functioning in order to maintain law and order peaceful atmosphere in the society. References Shafqat, S. (1999). Pakistani bureaucracy: Crisis of Governance and Prospects of Reforms. The Pakistan Development Review, 38, 995-1017. Kalia, S. (2009). Bureaucratic policy making in Pakistan. The Dialouge, 8, 2. Biber, H. , Leavy, P. (2010). The Practice of Quantitative Research: SAGE. Appendix: 1 Interview Guide In your opinion, what is the Importance of the role of bureaucracy? Do you think that Bureaucracy in Pakistan has been politicized? Give some examples. In your opinion, what are the main reasons for politicization of bureaucracy in Pakistan? What are the consequences of this politicization of bureaucracy? What possible measures can be taken to resolve this issue of politicization of bureaucracy?