Outline for CSS Essay: Civil Services Reforms

The services are the backbone of the state. Governments are formed. Governments are defeated. Prime Ministers come and go, ministers come and go, but you stay on. Therefore, there is a very great responsibility placed on your shoulders. You should have no hand in supporting this political party or that political party, this political leader or that political leader. This is not your business.

I. Introduction: PCSs are dysfunctional and ineffectual

II. Historical overview of Pakistan civil services

A. Colonial era
B. Post-independence era-1947-2018
C. Reformation era-1973-2018
1. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto civil services reforms
2. Anwar-ul-haq Commission Report (1978-79)
3. Fakhar Imam Report
4. Ishrat Hussain Report: National Commission for Government Reforms (NCGR-2007)
5. The passage of 18th amendment

III. Impact

A. Bad governance
B. Red-tapism
C. Lack of accountability
D. Worsening insecurity
E. Inter-departmental friction

IV. Recommendations; remedial measures

A. Incentives, procedures and institutions
B. Elimination of military interventions
C. Federal and provincial secretariats
D. Effective accountability
E. No political manipulations
F. National Commission for Government Reforms (NLGR)
G. Land administration and local governance
H. Modernizing Civil Services system and processes
I. Improve police functioning
J. The newly crafted system of FATA’s merger and bureaucracy

V. Role of the US and international community

VI. Conclusion