PAKISTAN’S Fiscal constraints, geopolitical realities, climate vulnerability and the demands of a mushrooming population require – besides other – a government that is agile, coordinated and focused relentlessly on results. Every government pledges reform. Few ask the more fundamental question: Does Pakistan have fit for purpose fundamental governance structure? If non-partisan persons of thoughts are the respondents, the answer is a clear “No”. Our challenges are manifold but should it stop us from taking the right step? We always mourn about economy, resources, conflicts and fears of unknown origin but have we ever thought in all fairness, how have we used the available resources optimally and cost effectively? Not the economy per se but our fear to jumpstart is the main obstacle. Just a case in point is the federal government structure.
The federal cabinet has steadily expanded over the years. Ministries with overlapping mandates frequently operate independently, often pursuing parallel policies with little institutional coordination. Planning develops long-term strategies while Commerce promotes exports and Industries designs industrial policy. Health addresses disease, Education develops human capital, Social Protection combats poverty and Skills Development focuses on employment, yet all pursue the same national objective: improving human development.
Similarly, Energy, Petroleum and Water Resources are managed through separate bureaucratic channels despite their deep interdependence. The list is long. This fragmentation produces four major consequences. First, policy duplication wastes scarce public resources. Second, coordination gaps delays decision-making. Third, accountability becomes blurred because multiple institutions run vertically. Finally, implementation suffers because no single authority owns outcomes. The result is a government that works harder than necessary while delivering less than expected. Accountability is the elephant in the room.
Instead of organizing ministries according to historical bureaucratic boundaries, Pakistan should take a start and organize government around objective national missions. A lean cabinet of integrated ministries would strengthen coordination without reducing the state’s ability to perform its constitutional responsibilities. Instead of more than thirty, it could be easily halved in size and strategically merged under thematic line. Finance and Economic Affairs could integrate fiscal policy, macroeconomic management and development financing under one leadership. Planning, Commerce and Industries would unite economic planning with industrial growth, exports and investment promotion. Energy, petroleum and Water Security would coordinate electricity, petroleum and water management within one national resource strategy.
Social sector development would combine health, education, social protection and skills development, recognizing that human capital—not physical infrastructure—is the country’s greatest strategic asset. Food, Agriculture and Climate Resilience would integrate agricultural productivity, food security and climate adaptation into one coherent policy framework. Interior and Governance would oversee internal security, federal coordination and administrative reform. Defense, defense production and Aviation offer much in common for integration. Foreign Affair’s mandate may expand to incorporate narrative building, external lobbying and health diplomacy.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs would accelerate legislative reform while improving coordination between Parliament and the executive. Digital Economy, Information Technology and Science would drive digital transformation, artificial intelligence, innovation and research-led economic growth. Culture, Religious Affairs and National Heritage would preserve Pakistan’s identity while promoting tourism, heritage conservation and interfaith harmony. Kashmir, Federal territories, Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs may need an integrated thin structure.
Such restructuring would substantially reduce duplication while preserving specialized technical expertise through separate divisions headed by professional experts, working in tandem with a lean bureaucratic structure. Restructuring ministries alone will not transform governance. Pakistan’s greater weakness lies in execution, the will to change. Governments announce reforms. Committees approve policies. Cabinets endorse strategies. Yet, implementation frequently loses momentum because no institution systematically tracks delivery across government.
The Prime Minister’s Office, therefore, requires a constitutional National Delivery and Performance Authority (NDPA). Reporting directly to the Prime Minister, the NDPA would monitor implementation using measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), digital dashboards and quarterly performance reviews. Rather than creating another bureaucracy, it would function as the government’s performance engine. Every ministry would submit quarterly delivery reports. Every flagship programme would have measurable milestones. Every delay would require corrective action. Performance—not announcements—would become the benchmark of success.
Many successful countries have already undertaken similar reforms. Singapore operates with a competence focused cabinet supported by exceptionally strong civil service coordination. Ministries work toward national outcomes rather than isolated departmental goals. The United Kingdom established the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, which significantly improved implementation of priority reforms through rigorous performance monitoring. Malaysia’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) transformed the culture of government by introducing measurable targets, ministerial accountability and regular public reporting. The United Arab Emirates periodically restructures ministries to reflect emerging priorities such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, human happiness and future governance rather than preserving outdated administrative structures.
The common lesson is clear: governments succeed when institutions collaborate around shared outcomes rather than operating in bureaucratic silos. A government organized around national priorities, supported by a professional delivery system and measured through objective, transparent checks and balances would push Pakistan closer to becoming a prosperous, modern, efficient and public-centric state. Needless to hire brigade of consultants, experts, the diagnosis is there and remedy simple, it just needs a bold step out of the comfort zone; fortune favors the brave.
—The writer is former Federal Health Minister.
