How to improve Public Service in National Institutions
Khurram Shahzad
Historically, it has been 78 years since Pakistan gained independence and we have also achieved the air strike conflict 2025 imposed by India, but we have not been able to make Public Service Institutions exemplary.
First of all, the Parliament, the largest institution in Pakistan, needs improvement. Elected Members of Pakistan's National and Provincial Assemblies are bound by their party to vote for anyone for the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and other positions. But in lawmaking, they can be independent of party leadership and policy, review the laws themselves, and give their opinion in favor or against the bill, so that legislation in the public interest can be enacted. Because they are representatives of millions of peoples in their constituencies instead of Party Leaders. And the Members of the Senate should also be directly elected from vote of peoples. Federal and Provincial Ministers should also be only public representatives so that the affairs of the government can be run according to the wishes of the peoples.
After the Parliament, the Judiciary urgently needs improvement. First of all, there is a need to change the appointment process of Judges in the High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan. They should come through the Federal Public Service Commission, the Courts' Commission, or promotions of Session Judges. Promotions for Judges should be based on their annual performance, the outcomes of appeals against their decisions, and the ratio of pending cases, so that the judiciary can provide justice to the peoples, as justice is a fundamental necessity for maintaining any society.
The Administration and Police Institutions should adopt a friendly attitude towards the public and should investigate cases and incidents through modern means instead of violence. There should be a complete ban on violence in Jails and Police Stations so that honest and ordinary citizens can seek help for their problems without fear of intimidation or behavior.
The Appointment of Heads of Government Institutions should be made in time instead of running institutions on additional / acting charge basis, as no Institution can be effectively managed without a Head / Leader. Appointment procedure for a new Head should be completed within the last four months of the outgoing Head's term so that the Institution can function effectively in Public Service.
Local Bodies (Local Governments) should also be elected in the general elections so that elected representatives manage the system at the level of Union Councils, Tehsils, and Districts instead of Assistant and Deputy Commissioners, as the administration is distanced from the common man and is not accountable to the people. Just like national and provincial governments, local governments should also not have a gap of years but should continuously work so that public issues can be resolved at their doorstep.
The Language of a nation holds great importance in its identity. From Quaid-e-Azam to the 1973 Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, our official language is Urdu, but in practice, it is hardly visible. By implementing Urdu in all government and public matters, a practical demonstration of One Nation and One Language can be achieved.
Education is very important for any nation and country. Our educational system also urgently needs improvement. For this, a curriculum is needed from Nursery to Graduation. A commission should be formed consisting of all Universities, Education Boards, Industrial and Religious representatives, which, keeping in mind Pakistan's local issues and resources, creates a single comprehensive education system that assists people in their practical lives so that they can become skilled and expert after obtaining education and contribute to the economic development of Pakistan.
Industry is the backbone of any country, and sustainable development can only be achieved through its products. To improve Industrial Policy, an industrial zone should be established at all district levels; no institution other than the Department of Industry and Commerce should be allowed to interfere in industry. It is the responsibility of the relevant department to ensure that all rules and regulations are met, so that the country's economy can improve and the public can gain employment.
In trade, we can improve the ratio of exports and imports to gain freedom from loans, the burden of interest payments, and the interference of International Financial Institutions in domestic policies, because the standard of superiority in the world today is a strong economy. For this, it is necessary to increase exports and reduce imports, especially allowing only industrial and essential goods in imports.
Basic Human Needs include Breathing and Drinking Clean Water. It is essential that at least 12% of trees be planted at all district level to improve the environment. Additionally, arrangements should be made to store water near urban and rural populations, and at the national level, dams should be constructed according to provincial needs and population, instead of letting water flow into the sea, in order to tackle environmental changes and water issues in Pakistan.
Electricity has also become a fundamental necessity for humans these days. Efforts should be made to improve its system, eliminate line losses and theft, and generate electricity through water, solar, nuclear energy, and wind by increasing water reservoirs instead of using furnace oil. Additionally, peoples should be relieved from unnecessary taxes. The reading and billing of one's own meter can be done through an app, which can reduce the costs of employees as Meter Readers and Bill Distributers, and the electricity distribution structure should be organized on all district level basis.
Health is a great blessing, but people do get sick, and it is one of the basic responsibilities of governments to provide health facilities to the public. Governments announce various health programs and projects day by day, and they also implement them. Government hospitals are present in some form at the level of every tehsil, but they are completely unable to serve the public. It is essential that all facilities are provided in tehsil hospitals so that society can be made healthy, because every person can easily reach the tehsil.
Pakistan should assist oppressed Muslims at every level and everywhere while maintaining its defensive strength on the global stage, especially the Muslims in Palestine and Kashmir, because Muslims are like one body and are brothers to one another. Oppressed Muslims have the same right to freedom as any individual in a civilized society.
In the end, I request all Pakistanis that we lack nothing, the only thing we lack is sincerity. Let us become sincere with ourselves and our country.
The writer is an Herbal Physician. He can be reached at: [email protected]. |