Dr Khalid Chauhan, PhD

Debate about the creation of new provinces is at its peak in Pakistan. While there are strong voices for and against the idea, one thing is clear, Pakistan has yet to realise its true potential in health education, rule of law, exports, industrialisation and other indices of human and infrastructure development.

Provincialism, elite political & bureaucratic capture, protests for rights, limited service delivery, massive number of out of school children do not define Pakistan, these only show that it’s time for bold and brave decisions to fix the broken system. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Pakistan will thrive when potential of people will be realised in the hitherto ignored peripheral geographic locations through creating conditions for competition, a function of empowerment of communities.

Nevertheless strong opposition to change is expected. The theory of self-interest in social change suggests that individuals and groups resist structural reforms when new policies threaten their personal wealth, status, or power. People holding powerful positions weigh the tangible costs and benefits of change, actively opposing any social shift that decreases their immediate advantage or disrupts the familiar status quo, thus benefiting institutional inertia. One may read this in the context of present administrative dispensation.

However, there are examples of embracing change wholeheartedly. Pakistan’s military has never shied from change and reorganisation for improvement even in its own structure. Same spirit is needed as States too are like living organisms, they develop, improve and never remain static or else die.

Arguments in favour are many, some which are below. Despite a population of over 240 million, Pakistan ranks 168th out of 193 on the Human Development Index, performs poorly on the Rule of Law Index, remains among the countries most affected by terrorism in the Global Terrorism Index, and has long struggled to create a business environment that attracts sustained investment. Millions of children remain out of school, health outcomes lag behind regional peers, and an increasing number of talented young Pakistanis are seeking opportunities abroad.

The current governance model is struggling to meet the needs of a large, diverse and rapidly growing nation. Tax collection remains weak, public administration is overstretched, and many provincial and local governments struggle even with basic municipal functions, such as effectively levying and collecting parking charges. Punjab alone has a population of around 127 million, yet functions under a single provincial administration. And yet continuing to pursue the old path can not lead to new promising results. It’s time for rethinking and taking a bold new approach.

Pakistan’s diversity is a strength, not a weakness. It is neither efficient nor equitable for vastly different regions to be governed through overly centralized structures that can limit local initiative and development. Historically, smaller administrative units such as Swat and Bahawalpur demonstrated that governance and tax administration can be more responsive when institutions are closer to the people.

Any meaningful reform should place tax collection, infrastructure development and human development at its core. It should empower local institutions, improve accountability and encourage healthy competition among regions.

Institutional reform is often resisted by those who benefit most from the existing system. Building broad political consensus for such reforms is therefore difficult. If Pakistan is to undertake governance reforms of this scale, it would require determination of the reformers able to persist.

Dr Khalid Chauhan, PhD, Social Science Expert with passion for reforms and positive social transformation. #reforms #newprovinces #empowerment&socialchange