ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to present an overview of the historical development of the troika of institutions of bureaucracy, military and political system in Pakistan over the last 70 years and their respective roles in the governance and power nexus. The chapter advocates that without politico-dictatorial intervention, and in the governance paradigm characterized by a blend of clearly articulated vision-public interest by the rulers and techno-professional autonomy, the bureaucracy as an institution has acquitted itself adequately well to achieve economic development gains. The chapter points out that praetorian bureaucratization of the political system during the period of military rule, the politicization of bureaucracy during the political government and the progressive decadence of bureaucracy from within to drift away from its core values of objectivity, neutrality and merit have cumulatively led to the present state of institutional paralysis in the country. While the major responsibility for its dysfunction and decadence as one of the key state institutions lies with the bureaucracy itself, the praetorian intrusion of the military into the civil bureaucracy and its excessive politicization by the politicians in the pursuit of their personal power and gains are equally to blame for the bureaucratic paralysis. The country continues to face major constitutional and governance challenges including perpetuity of inter-institutional imbalance, lack of development of robust political system and sustainably functional public administration. The chapter avers that the politicians, given relatively unconstrained decision space available for the last about a decade, need to assume the leadership and consciously orchestrate a wider consensus to shun ‘autocratic style’ and promote political ethos conducive for robust democratic order and inter-institutional balance among the state organs in order to build and bequeath a stable and prosperous Pakistan for posterity.
