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Administrative Reforms for further Devolution of Powers

‘The only way you can defeat insurgency is to remain one step ahead’ US Army Special Forces teachings on guerrilla warfare, counter / insurgency)

It may be equally true about the demand for new provinces.

Introduction. Pakistan is under tremendous stress as a nation

mainly due to the effects of ‘war on terror’. Besides it is suffering from

parochial, ethnic, and sectarian strife. It is further divided between the

haves and have-nots due to immense economic disparity and a fast

dwindling middle class. To compound its woes it has a very unwieldy

administrative structure. Balochistan, the largest province has almost half 

its’ area (44%) but only 4.5% population, Punjab which accounts for over

half of the population (56%) with another 10% living in other provinces,

dominates the politics, bureaucracy and army.

 The demand for new provinces is once again making rounds with renewed

vigour and strength. The renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the

reaction in Hazara resulting in casualties has acted as a catalyst for this

demand. It has given added impetus to the demand of a separate province

in southern parts of Punjab. The demand for Bhawalpur and Seraiki

Provinces has been voiced with intensity since the break-up of one unit in

1970. It is once again gaining momentum with emotional appeals to people

with more vigour. It probably will be the biggest election slogan for the next

elections in Southern Punjab. It looks that sooner or later there will also be a

demand for Potohar Province or even a Central Punjab Province besides

Hazara and Udayana (ancient name of Swat Valley) in PK-Khyber, Mehran

(upper Sindh) in Sindh besides Karachi. Similarly within the Balochistan

union, demand for separate provinces for Pakhtun areas, the Coastal belt

and Nasirabad Division are in the offing sooner than later

 An attempt has been made to suggest a balanced administration

structure within existing provincial structure with minor changes.

These suggestions do not require any constitutional changes or 

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legislation. They can be enacted forthwith taking the governance

within easy reach of population.

Historical Background. It may be interesting to note the administrative

evolution of Punjab after it’s annexation in 1849 after the 2nd Anglo-Sikh War

was placed under a Board of Administration headed by a Chief 

Commissioner assisted by a Judicial Commissioner and a Financial

Commissioner, Sir Henry Lawrence was the first Chief Commissioner

followed by Sir John Lawrence. Punjab was at that time a part of the

Presidency of Bengal being ruled from Fort William Calcutta in winters and

Simla in summers. The Chief Commissioner had all of the powers of the

Governor due its distance from Calcutta, old and inadequate communication

system prevailing at that time made it difficult to administer it directly.

Punjab was later raised to the level of a Lieutenant Governor’s province in

1859. It became a Governor’s province years later I 1901. Trans Frontier

Regions (later NWFP) were under a Chief Commissioner at Peshawar from

1905 till becoming a full-fledged province in 1935. Similarly, Sindh initially a

province was placed under the Presidency of Bombay under the Chief 

Commissioner till granted the status of a province in 1935. Balochistan was

also administrated by a Chief Commissioner known as Agent General to the

Governor General till 1955, it was given the status of a full-fledged province

in 1970

The Devolution Plan. Gen Pervez Musharraf’s much touted devolution

plan did devolve the powers vertically downwards, however it failed to

distribute these horizontally into different regions of a Province. It is true in

all provinces where all powers are centralized at the Provincial Secretariat of all provincial departments putting public coming from distant areas at great

inconvenience. A person from Sadiqabad or Rahim Yar Khan has still to

come to Lahore to get an arms license as these powers have been

centralized in the Provincial Government. Similarly a person from Rajanpur

or Dera Ghazi Khan has to come all the way to Lahore to get his problems

sorted out at the Provincial Secretariat. Similarly people in Hub are next

door to Karachi, in fact it was part of Karachi division during the one unit

days. Similarly people of coastal areas of Balochistan are too far away from

Quetta to be beneficiaries of the Provincial largess. Haripur and Abbottabad

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are nearer to Islamabad than Peshawar. Punjab’s southern districts are

nearer to Karachi than Lahore. Similarly the western districts are nearer to

Peshawar than the provincial capital. The public in Rawalpindi, Jhelum,

Attock etc finds it convenient to get their problems solved from the Federal

Government rather than the Provincial Government at far away Lahore.

Aim:  The aim of this paper is to suggest devolution of administrative

powers horizontally to enable easiest possible access to its citizens.

Objectives: It has the following objectives:

a. The devolution of powers should be cost effective; it should reduce the

cost of existing bureaucracy and not become an added burden like the

previous plan of devolution.

b. It should use the existing administrative echelons to the maximum

and not create new ones.

c. It should be in time with psyche of general public and not create

confusion as was done in bringing about changes in nomenclatures

from time honoured designations of DC, AC etc to new ones of District

Officers i.e., EDO, DO, DDO.

Suggested Changes: Each Province may be grouped in following

administrative units each headed by a Chief Commissioner:

1. Punjab. It can be divided into five administrative units

a. Lahore (Lahore, Sahiwal and Gujranwala Divisions)

b. Multan. Multan and DG Khan Divisions

c. Bhawalpur. Bhawalpur Division.

d. Rawalpindi. (Rawalpindi Division with Mianwali District

e. Central Punjab. Faisalabad and Sargodha Divisions less

Mianwali District.

2. Sindh. Three administrative units.

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c.  The Punjab districts of Bhakkar and Layyah being nearer to Dera

Ismail Khan may be attached to that Administrative unit.

d.  The districts of Lasbela, Jacobabad, Bhakkar and Layyah should

be transferred to new administrative units subject to willingness

of public to accept the change.

Recommendations:

a.  The head of the administrative units may be designated as

the Chief Commissioner or Additional Chief Secretary.

 b. He should have all the powers enjoyed by the Chief Secretary

of the Province.

c.   The existing Commissioner‘s offices may be merged

wherever two or more divisions are being grouped together.

d. Similarly the Regional Police Officers offices may be

combined where ever two divisions are being merged to form

one IG (Police) office.

e.   The above steps will save substantial manpower and

expenditure due to merger of existing divisions to form Chief 

Commisionerates.

f.  The IG (Police) of Provinces presently may be re-designated

as DG (Police) as in Indian Punjab.

g.   The Board of Revenue should be devolved to these

administrative units to bring it within easy access of general

public in distant places.

h. All powers of Secretaries of the Provinces may be devolved to

the respective Directors in the field.

i.   The manpower rendered surplus due to mergers and

lessening of work load at the Provincial Secretariat may be

given choice and posted to respective Chief Commissioners.

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 j.  The role of Chief Secretary and DG (Police) at the provincial

capital should be basically coordination between other

administrative units besides looking after that

Commissionerate.

k.  The Secretaries at the Provincial Secretariat should also be

given the added responsibility of necessary coordination and

liaison between various Commissioners.

l. All Chief Commissioners should be in grade-21 and

Administration Secretaries in grade-20.

6. The Irrigation Department. It is having its own hierarchy on canal

based administrative set up need not be devolved down wards.

However the powers of Chief Engineers etc. may be restored to pre

partition levels which have been withdrawn due to political

interference over a period of time.

7. Saving in Manpower. It is visualize that at least 25 to 30% per

cent saving in manpower will occur by devolving powers downwards

from the Provincial Secretariats to the Chief Commissioner’sadministrative units.

Conclusion. It is time now that the Government takes cognizance of 

the situation in time to forestall a Hazara like situation. The suggested

administrative structure is very much in tune with present administrative

set up and according to the psyche of our population. Any province can

take the lead by becoming a trend setter for all other provinces in this

respect by devolving more powers to outlying regions of the province as

suggested. The best way to pre-empt the impending turmoil is to address

these issues by taking decisions in time.

Many countries like India, Nigeria and Afghanistan etc have resorted to

having more viable administrative units in order to bring governance

within easy reach besides sorting out other internal issues.

Brig (Retd} Yasub Ali Dogar 

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(Ex Mayor of Lahore & Former Advisor to

the Governor of the Punjab)

P.S. Map of Pakistan along with its’ divisions/districts is

enclosed.

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PAKISTAN, POLITICAL MAP

SUGGESTED ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS