CSS Governance Factbook – Pakistan
1. Core Theme: Governance, Democracy, and Rule of Law
Governance is about how institutions manage resources, deliver
services, and maintain accountability.
Weak institutions → poor governance → weak economy → societal
inequity.
Quote: “Weak institutions lead to poor governance, which leads to poor
economic growth.” – Dr. Ishrat Husain
2. Institutional Weaknesses
Problem: Leadership change alone cannot fix systemic issues.
Institutions in Pakistan (judiciary, police, NAB, army) cannot self-correct
easily due to corruption and structural flaws.
Example: Military’s historical political interventions (1958 coup, Zia,
Musharraf) weakened civilian institutions.
Principle: Criticise individuals, not institutions – but fix requires
institutional reforms, not just leadership change.
Fact: Governance affects GDP and income per capita (IMF & World Bank
studies).
3. Economic Governance & Policy Failures
Chronic mismanagement since 1980s:
o Reliance on borrowing & IMF bailouts
o Budget & balance-of-payments deficits financed by printing
money → inflation
o Low tax-to-GDP ratio, poor revenue mobilization
Circular debt in energy sector:
o Rs25bn (Musharraf era) → Rs2,500bn (PTI era)
Fact: Pakistan’s per capita income is below every South Asian country
except Nepal; worse than sub-Saharan Africa average.
Effect: Rentier economy, elite benefit, public suffers → structural
imbalance.
4. Political & Governance Challenges
Political polarisation: unprecedented in Pakistan’s history, making
consensus near impossible.
PTI vs other parties → parliament without effective opposition → laws
lack broad legitimacy.
Erosion of institutional trust: Judiciary, Election Commission, and
establishment attacked by political factions → undermines rule of law.
Clientelist politics: Politics revolves around patronage networks,
biradaris, and influential families rather than public welfare.
5. Civil-Military Relations
Military dominance historically: Partition chaos + security concerns →
“steel frame” dominance.
Consequence: Weak civilian institutions, strong executive,
parliamentary subservience.
Examples: Army coups (1958, Zia, Musharraf), manipulation of political
processes.
6. Social & Human Development Impact
Education:
o Rs2,000bn spent annually, yet half of school-age children not in
school; low literacy/skills.
Population:
o +5.5 million/year growth; no effective population control.
o Bangladesh: fewer population, higher female workforce
participation → higher economic output.
Security:
o Crime, terrorism, and extremism deter investment, tourism,
exports.
7. Regional Comparisons
India:
o Dismantled licence raj → FDI 40x Pakistan; central bank reserves
$580bn vs Pakistan $8bn.
Bangladesh:
o Smaller, resource-poor, yet higher per capita income, exports,
education, life expectancy.
o Population control + female education → economic advantage.
8. Geopolitics & External Dependence
Pakistan’s foreign alignments shaped by:
o Fear of India, Cold War alliances, US-led interventions, Afghan
war.
Effect: Aid dependence, delayed domestic reforms, rentier mentality.
Quote: “Dependence on external resources became so entrenched that
ruling elite rarely questioned it.”
9. Religion and Governance
Islamisation under Zia → fusion of religion and politics → rise of
extremism and militant groups.
Policies: Hudood Ordinance, blasphemy laws, Ahmadiyya declaration.
Religious appeasement continues to influence governance and policy
decisions.
10. Key Quotes for Essays
“All countries have problems but successful nations resolve them;
Pakistan only postpones.”
“A rotten apple may spoil the barrel, but can we expect a ripe apple
from a rotten tree?”
“Trust in institutions is the bedrock of democracy and governance.”
“Confluence of polarised politics and economic turmoil is pushing
Pakistan into the danger zone of becoming ungovernable.”
11. Essay/MCQ Ready Insights
Governance issues root causes: Weak institutions, political polarisation,
elite self-interest, civil-military imbalance.
Solution framework:
1. Institutional reforms (civil service, judiciary, accountability
bodies).
2. Depoliticisation of governance.
3. Economic reforms (tax, energy, fiscal discipline).
4. Social reforms (education, population control, security).
Illustrative examples:
o Circular debt, army coups, Bangladesh economic rise, India FDI
growth, Zia’s Islamisation.
2. Key Statistics & Figures
FDI: India 40x Pakistan
Central Bank Reserves: India $580bn; Pakistan $8bn
Population Growth: Pakistan +5.5 million/year
Education: Rs2,000bn annual spend, but 50% school-age
children not in school
Circular debt (energy sector): Rs25bn → Rs2,500bn (from
Musharraf → PTI)
Pakistan tax-to-GDP ratio: one of the lowest in the world
Bangladesh: three more years of schooling on average than
Pakistan
3. Key Problems / Challenges
Institutional Weakness: Judiciary, police, NAB, army – cannot
self-correct; weak governance machinery
Political Polarisation: PTI vs “the Rest” → parliament without
opposition, laws without consensus
Civil-Military Imbalance: Historical dominance of army → weak
civilian institutions
Clientelist Politics: Patronage networks dominate, policy and
public welfare sidelined
Economic Mismanagement: Borrowing, bailouts, debt trap,
inflation, circular debt, lack of structural reforms
Human Development: Poor education, weak health, high infant
mortality, lack of population control
Security Issues: Crime, terrorism, extremism → harms
investment, tourism, exports
Religion & Politics: Islamisation, appeasement of religious
right, rise of militancy
Foreign Dependence: Reliance on US, China, Saudi Arabia for
aid and bailouts → rentier economy
4. Comparative Insights
India: Post-1990s economic reforms → FDI 40x, central bank
reserves $580bn, stronger human development
Bangladesh: Population control + female workforce
participation → better economic output, higher literacy, better
life expectancy
Pakistan per capita income below all South Asian countries
except Nepal, worse than sub-Saharan Africa average
5. Examples for Arguments / Case Studies
Army coups & political interventions: 1958, Zia, Musharraf →
weakened civilian rule
Circular debt: Energy sector problem escalating under multiple
governments
Bangladesh vs Pakistan: Population control and female
education → economic success
Education failure: Rs2,000bn spent annually, yet students can’t
do basic sums or write paragraphs
Cold War / Foreign aid: Dependence on IMF, US, China, Saudi
Arabia → deferred structural reforms
Zia’s Islamisation policies: Hudood Ordinance, blasphemy laws,
legal & educational changes → extremism
6. Key Arguments for Essays
Governance failure stems from weak institutions, not the type
of government (parliamentary, presidential, or military)
Leadership change is not enough; deep institutional reform is
necessary
Political polarisation + economic mismanagement =
ungovernable state risk
Effective governance requires:
1. Depoliticised civil service
2. Judiciary & accountability bodies independent
3. Economic reforms: tax, energy, debt, structural reforms
4. Human development: education, health, population
control
Foreign aid dependence has delayed domestic reform →
sustainable governance requires self-reliance
7. Important Terms / Concepts to Remember
Institutional corruption
Clientelism / Patronage politics
Civil-military imbalance
Rentier economy
Circular debt
Human development indicators (education, population control,
health)
Polarisation & political stalemate
Rule of law & institutional trust
8. Reports / References for Essays
World Bank: Governance = exercise of authority through
formal & informal institutions
IMF Studies: Governance statistically significant for GDP and
income per capita
PIDE Survey: 40% Pakistanis want to leave Pakistan (public
perception of governance failure)
Dr. Ishrat Husain Essays / Woodrow Wilson Centre: Institutional
reforms > individual leadership
