Need to reform civil services stressed

Zafrullah Khan called for civil service reforms and asked what would be fate of local body elections in the country

ISLAMABAD:

Participants at a discussion underlined the need for civil services reforms in the country and increasing capacity-building of provinces in implementation of constitutional articles following the devolution of subjects.

The discussion, titled “Constitutional Challenges and Electoral Reforms”, was held at Centre for Civic Education Pakistan at their office on Sunday.

Former bureaucrat Zeeshanudin Dar said provinces have capacity issues to handle constitutional matters. “The political capacity might be fair but the administrative side is quite marginal in Balochistan,” he added.

He also urged amending the laws that date back to the colonial era. “For instance, the laws related to fisheries, minerals and mines have never been changed since late 1880s,” Dar said.

Zafrullah Khan, from the Centre for Civic Education, called for civil service reforms and asked what would be the fate of local body elections in the country as the fourth deadline of apex court was about to end on November 15.

Ijaz Khan from the University of Peshawar said there was a need to build the capacity of political parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th,2014.