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LAHORE, Oct 30 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning and Development Professor Ahsan Iqbal has emphasized the urgent need to modernize Pakistan’s governance and civil service system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Addressing an international conference on “Local Realities and Regional Futures: Transforming Public Administration and Management in South Asia” at the Punjab University on Thursday, the minister
called for a complete transformation in the country’s administrative structure to make it more responsive, transparent, and citizen-centric.
Professor Ahsan Iqbal said that governance in today’s world had become increasingly complex due to technological advances, global interdependence, and changing social expectations. He noted that Pakistan’s population is now younger, urbanized, educated, and digitally connected, with citizens who expect
governments to be more accountable, participatory, and technology-driven.
He said the traditional model of democracy — where citizens voted and then waited for elected representatives to act on their behalf — is no longer sustainable in the modern age, where people are informed and empowered to participate in real-time decision-making.
The minister pointed out that Pakistan’s current civil service system, inherited from the British colonial era and last revised in 1973, was designed to maintain law and order rather than drive innovation and development. “It prizes stability over innovation, hierarchy over collaboration, and procedures over performance,” he said. “But today’s challenges require agility, collaboration, and results-oriented governance.”
Highlighting the need for reforms, Ahsan Iqbal said that under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, the government has re-launched civil service reforms with renewed seriousness. A comprehensive framework, known as the “SMART Civil Service Model,” has been developed to make governance specialized, meritocratic, accountable, rooted in people, and tech-enabled. He explained that the model focuses on specialized recruitment through CSS, performance-based promotions, a new National Executive Service to include experts from the private sector, and the use of technology for efficiency and transparency.
The minister said that governance must shift from process compliance to results delivery, with ministries signing annual performance agreements with the prime minister based on key performance indicators.
He announced that the Federal Public Service Commission is being automated to reduce the recruitment cycle from two years to six months, while data-driven governance is being promoted through the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the National Data Portal.
Professor Ahsan Iqbal also stressed that the roots of good governance are deeply embedded in Islamic teachings, which emphasize justice, accountability, and service to the people.
He recalled that the four caliphs of Islam practiced servant leadership with humility and justice, a model that modern management thinkers now recognize as ideal.
The minister outlined a plan to reform higher education as well, saying that universities must act as think tanks for governance innovation and serve as engines of knowledge-based transformation. He introduced a seven-point performance audit framework for universities, covering academic excellence, research and innovation, academia-industry linkages, community service, technology enablement, corporate governance, and the quality of graduates. “Universities must not remain ivory towers — they should extend their knowledge to serve communities and contribute to national progress,” he added.
Ahsan Iqbal proposed the creation of a South Asian Governance Innovation Network to share regional reform experiences and promote collaboration among neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. He said such cooperation could help build a uniquely South Asian model of governance that is locally rooted yet globally competitive.
He concluded his address by urging the nation’s elite to adopt a spirit of gratitude and responsibility, noting that while the poor continue to show faith in Pakistan’s future, the privileged must also contribute to the country’s progress. “We owe it to our youth, our taxpayers, and our nation’s future to create a governance system that meets the demands of a changing world,” he said. “Let us work together as Team Pakistan to make this vision a reality.”
The conference was also addressed by Special Assistant to the Government of Bangladesh for Finance Professor Anees Uzzaman, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Mohammad Iqbal Hussain, and Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University Professor Dr Muhammad Ali.