Pakistan's Governance Paradox: A Critical Analysis of Issues and Reform Strategies (2013-2022)
Abstract
This paper underscores the key challenges to governance in Pakistan and suggests policy options to support social, political and economic stability. This study aims to address the root causes which have impaired Pakistan's progress, by an intensive analysis of dominant issues including political instability, corruption on massive scale; flawed institutional framework; severe justice delivery defects as well as immediate and long term public service deficiencies. Using a mixed-method research design, this paper is primarily supported by secondary data sources-such as government reports, international organization publications and journal articles-which provide robust evidence for its conclusions. The findings underscore the importance of implementing administrative reforms to support rule-based democratic institutions, prevent corruption, institutionalize administrative capacity and develop an extensive service delivery mechanism within defined boundaries. It also underscores the vital need for legal reform and transparency as a means to increase trust between the public and authorities. This paper calls for an integrated governance model to address these complex challenges along the roadmap of global standard governance and scaling, emphasizing to build a ecosystem focus addressing institutional as well societal needs. To end, the discourse lays down the imperatives of structural changes and suggests concrete steps for meeting governance challenges in Pakistan. Initiatives to modernize public administration strengthen institutional checks and balances, and lay the foundations for increased levels of civic engagement are seen as crucial avenues through which these measures will facilitate sustainable socio-political and economic stability in the country in the long-term.
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