Here are some reforms to make Pakistan developed, prosperous and proud nation:
Local Government system
Fixed timeline for elections
- Budgetary allocation under the NFC Award (National Finance Commission Award) or outside the NFC.
- Policing, education and health should be under the jurisdiction of local government
- Establishment of SEZs (Special Economic Zones) in local governments to create a competition between the councils.
- Local governments should generate revenue by taxes, challan, tickets and through any other means which are not contrary to the law.
- Young and capable office machinery
Provinces
Provinces in Pakistan should be divided as:
Karachi must be a province
Punjab must be divided into four regions or at least into two; South Punjab and North Punjab
Balochistan and KPK must also be divided which is acceptable to the locals and suitable for the smooth functioning of the administration.
New provinces are necessary for inter-provincial harmony
Job opportunities for the locals in the public sector.
Development at local level
Easy access to provincial government institutes
Construction of new schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, airports, road infrastructure, etc.
Population
Population growth rate in Pakistan is almost 2% per year. It is pertinent to mention here that the birth rate has declined from 3.5 births/female in 2018 to 3.3 births/female in 2022.
To counter over-population, some parameters are necessary:
2 child policy
Free education and health for two children
Empowered local government system to control population
Women empowerment through education
Economy
- Unbalance of imports & exports results in current account deficit. In Pakistan, exports are lower than imports, which has devalued Pakistani currency at historical low level.
- Energy crisis is a reason behind economic upheaval, which could be improved by the construction of dams, subsidised solar energy and sustainable electric supply to the industries.
- Heavy duty tax over raw material used for the production of export items should be reduced to end. Moreover, tax on export-friendly industries must be minimum or zero.
- Small and medium enterprises should be subsidised and the availability of loan for these enterprises is needed.
- There is need of a liaison cell between industries and government for the smooth functioning/solution of the export import related issues on immediate basis.
- Tax System
- The jurisdiction of some important categories has been transferred to the provincial government due to vested interest of the politicians. And, provincial tax collection institutes are not well established and updated as of FBR (Federal Board of Revenue). Therefore, it is necessary to revert the jurisdiction back to the federal government to generate more revenue.
To collect tax revenue from tax evaders in respect of sales/property/income tax, and to increase the tax network, there should be more power to the FBR. No doubt, the Inland Revenue wing of FBR has been updated with online IRIS login system, but some reforms are still awaited for full functional online tax collection i.e., forced registration for sales tax, online communication with taxpayers on whatsapp or email.
Almost all the developed and some of the developing states have moved towards digital currency, because it is easy to track and trace transactions and to decrease corruption.
Administration
As we are living in a global village, therefore, old civil service rules must be revised according to the expectations and needs of the people.
It has been observed that class-iv employees are involved in bribery, corruption and delay tactics. It is the result of political reference or illegal recruitment. Therefore class-iv recruitment requirements should have rules like:
Middle class
A candidate with highest marks will be selected first and then second and so on
Direct recruitment from top position holders of educational institutes
In clerical staff, only Lower Division Clerk (or Junior Clerk) posts should be recruited and then promoted according to the abilities of the candidate.
According to the current seniority system, if a candidate is selected for a post, he is automatically promoted to the upper level and there is no bar except disciplinary proceedings. It discourages the junior to work hard, because they are aware that there is a fixed time period for their promotion, and work is not a criteria for it. For promotion, there should be an exam every time for promotion, arranged by commission.
Single salary system all over the Pakistan
Revenue departments, especially in provinces, must be online on priority basis to end old patwari culture.
New public management policies for revolution in the public administration.
- Education
Curriculum and medium should be single
- More public school to end the business of private education mafia
- Inclusion of modern subjects in religious institutes, which do not contrary to Islamic Sharia, to end a sense of alienation among religious students
- Construction of libraries across the country
- Special quota for Dars-e-Nizami students in civil services.
- The number of Technical & vocational institutes should be increased to make the youth skillful.
- More budget to the education sector