Asghar Khan
The biggest problem and worry of governance in Pakistan is lack of merit. The boards of the Public Sector Institutions (PSIs) are appointed on political grounds or ‘connections’ due to which these organizations are run inefficiently and incompetently. Most of these organizations are managed by the officials of the controlling Ministries and Divisions, who have no specialist experience or technical skills, due to which their performance suffers sometimes at the cost of the state. Even in the commercial sector of energy, communication and infrastructure, large companies are run on ad-hoc basis without a full time Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Even when, Chief Executive Officer is selected, the whole process is structured in a manner so that the ‘desired’ person is ensured selection. Deliberately posts are left vacant so that blue eyed are given additional charges for occupying them and deriving benefits therefrom. Holding two or three charges is a norm and which is presented as a credential.
The eligibility criteria for, appointment to executive positions, is manipulated and tailored made. Even by luck or chance, a competitor emerges the marking criteria at the interview stage, which is a black-box and beyond public scrutiny, is formulated in a manner to select the desirables. As a result of weak board of directors and management team, the performance of these public sector entities leaves lot to be desired, which translates into failure of public services but also eats into public money resulting in huge losses. One of the prime reasons for this sorry state of affairs is lack of uniform transparent criteria for selection of the Board Members and CEOs. Similarly, the remuneration of the CEOs has been increased to such a level that the distinction between the public sector service and private sector service has eroded. The high salaried posts are open for the civil servants to be posted which is against the rules of the business as their terms and conditions of service cannot be changed without the permission of the federal government.
The terms and conditions of the CEOs of PSIs are being fixed in an arbitrary manner ranging in millions and MP-1 scale has been laid to rest. This is a form of political bribe and in return, the CEOs oblige political masters by complying with their illegal directions and illegitimate demands. Another plaguing and cancerous factor is reemployment of the retired bureaucrats to public positions. While they have completed their statutory term of service up to sixty (60) years of age and are drawing pensions yet they are reemployed on heavy remunerations. This results in deprivation of bright young people to assume challenging and decision making posts. This phenomenon is not restricted to retired civil servants but extends to retired army personnel and retired judges. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has through numerous decisions deprecated this practice of reemployment but the practice continues with impunity.
The government must devise a transparent policy of selection where all the recruitments should be advertised and qualifications shall be prescribed in a manner to promote and not stifle competition. The professional organizations posts should not be held for more than a term of five (5) years so that these organizations are not moribund and fresh thinking and approaches from the market are procured for the benefit of the country. Civil Services of Pakistan, is closed unto itself and being a permanent in nature, is already in decadence as the members of the civil services do not allow any change and defeat any process of reform that threatens their fiefdom. It should be opened up at the executive level of Grade 21/22 through selection of bright individuals, who can breathe fresh air into the system.
This state of perpetual failures and decadences should be brought to an end through merit and transparent selections and improving the governance structure by encouraging ideas to outdated and used experience as history has witnessed that change and progress is affected by midcareer professional leaders.
(The writer is a practicing Barrister in the energy & corporate fields and has advance degrees in engineering, business management and laws)
