PAKISTAN
One of Pakistan’s leading English-language newspapers, The Express Tribune has slammed the country’s Public Service as “outdated, inefficient and shambolic, riddled with corruption”.
In an editorial, the newspaper called for “root and branch reform”.
“There have been three attempts at reform and update structures and the recruitment process and they have all failed,” the The Express Tribune said.
“Two Parliamentary Committees tried to take the steps that would see changes to the way the Civil Service recruits, inducts and trains its staff. They failed.”
It said it regretted that reform was once again on the backburner awaiting the attention of the incoming Government — meaning it would be at least a year before the process resumed.
“Until such time as the strength can be mustered for another attempt, the country remains saddled with a Civil Service that is largely unreformed since Independence,” The Express Tribune said.
“There have been 38 reform initiatives since 1947, none of them wholly successful.”
However, the newspaper said some reform efforts had contained sound and solid proposals and not all of the work done could be rubbished.
“The nature of the many problems is plain enough to see and some of the reforms are not exactly rocket science,” The Express Tribune said.
“In at least one instance, the work of a committee was lost when its mandate expired.”
It said the country now had to continue with a Civil Service that has its roots — and current practices — firmly in the days of colonialism.
“All substantive efforts at reform have failed to date, and we wonder if it is not too much to expect the next dispensation to create a truly Civil Service,” the The Express Tribune said.
Islamabad, 23 April 2018
