Journal of Academic Research for Humanities (JARH) is a double-blind peer-review, Open Free Access, online Multidisciplinary Research Journal
Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Reality of Local Government Reforms: : Case of Environmental Protection Agencies in Pakistan

Abstract

 New Public Management (NPM) has been the most popular governance model since 1980. NPM devolution is the process of providing service resources at the local level to assist the public and improve service delivery. However, the establishment of local governments in 2001 and their later dissolution in 2010 disrupted the real essence of devolution. This study is a descriptive analysis that aims to assess the devolution process from provincial to local levels in Pakistan, focusing on its effects on the structure, administration, and operation of Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The objective of this study is to examine the trajectories of local government reforms in Pakistan, the extensive devolution program, and the tenure of devolution within the EPAs of these provinces. The study used a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews with content analysis of important policy documents such as the 18th Amendment, Local Government Ordinances 2001, and Local Government Acts 2010, 2013, and 2016. The results indicate that, although devolution principles were adopted under external influence and pressure from donor organizations, there has been a general absence of effective implementation. The research findings provide significant direction for policymakers, emphasizing the need to harmonize worldwide plans with specific contexts in forthcoming institutional changes. The present study is a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge on devolution, particularly in relation to Pakistan as a developing country in Asia.

Keywords

Agency, Decentralization, Devolution, Environment, Pakistan

PDF

References

  1. Abdullahi, M., & Chikaji, A. (2017). Local government and development: challenges and way forward. Maiduguri Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 14(1), 1-20.
  2. Ahmed, Z., & Afridi, M. K. (2014). Democratic Culture in Pakistan: An Historical Overview. Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(9), 318-334.
  3. Ali, A. (2020). An investigation into the role of local government in enhancing the public participation in Sindh, Pakistan: policy and practice in service delivery (Doctoral dissertation, University of Bradford).
  4. Ali, I. (2014). The Punjab under imperialism, 1885-1947 (Vol. 923): Princeton University Press.
  5. Ali, S. A. M., & Mufti, M. (2022). Political parties and decentralization in Pakistan. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 52(2), 201-224.
  6. Ali, M., & Shafiq, M. O. (2016). Redefining Right to Information, Federalism and Decentralization Mechanism in Pakistan: Post 18th Amendment perspective. Journal of Mass Communication Department, Dept of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, 14.
  7. Akbar, K. F. (2023). Decentralization of Environmental Governance in Pakistan and its Impact on Sustainable Development. Policy Perspectives, 20(1), 45-60.
  8. Anjum, M. S., Ali, S. M., Subhani, M. A., Anwar, M. N., Nizami, A. S., Ashraf, U., & Khokhar, M. F. (2021). An emerged challenge of air pollution and ever-increasing particulate matter in Pakistan; a critical review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 402, 123943.
  9. Anwar, T., Ali, M., & Jamshed, U. (2023). The 18th Amendment: Revival of Pakistan as a Federal State. Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 4(2), 357-356.
  10. Azfar, O., Kahkonen, S., Lanyi, A., Meagher, P., & Rutherford, D. (2018). Decentralization, governance, and public services: The impact of institutional arrangements. In Devolution and development (pp. 45-88). Routledge
  11. Burfat, A. R., Oad, H. R., & Shah, A. ul M. (2024). Challenges to the Parliament in Pakistan and the Rise of Secessionist Movements. International "Journal of Academic Research for Humanities", 4(1), 102–110. Retrieved from https://jar.bwo-researches.com/index.php/jarh/article/view/387
  12. Emenhiser, N. I. (2016). Best Practices in Public-Private Partnership Strategies for Transit-Oriented Development (Master's thesis, The Ohio State University).
  13. Gant, G. F. (2006). The concept of development administration. Comparative public administration: the essential readings, 257.
  14. Gazley, B. (2021). Co-production from a third-sector perspective. The Palgrave Handbook of Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes, 229-246.
  15. Grinin, L., Grinin, A., & Korotayev, A. (2021). Global trends and forecasts of the 21st century. World Futures, 77(5), 335-370.
  16. HAQ, A. (2018). Centre-Province Relations in Pakistan: A Case Study of Balochistan 2008-2016 (Doctoral dissertation, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad).
  17. Hussain, M. A., & Salyana, J. A. (2022). The Transition of Guided Democracy in Pakistan. A Study of Military Regimes. International Research Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 3(1), 93-106.
  18. KHAN, S., & KHAN, U. (2015). Local government in Pakistan tool for legitimacy: A case study of Gen. Ayub Khan’s BD System. The Discourse, 1(2), 43-56.
  19. Kharl, S. H., & Mehboob, A. (2022). Political Parties and Devolution of Power in Punjab after the 18th Amendment. BTTN Journal, 1(2), 63-82
  20. Khayam, M. U., & Ahmad, I. (2020). Decentralization of environment in Pakistan: issues in governance. Policy Perspectives, 17(2), 101-116.
  21. Levy, R. (2002, April). Modernization, decentralization, and governance: A public management perspective. In PSA annual conference, University of Aberdeen (pp. 4-6).
  22. Mahmood, S. (2001). Good Governance and the Musharraf Regime's Performance in 1999-2000. Pakistan Horizon, 54(2), 33-77.
  23. Malik, N., & Rana, A. (2019). The History of Local Governance in Pakistan: What Lessons to Learn? Journal of International Politics, 1(3), 26-35.
  24. Manor, J. (1999). The political economy of democratic decentralization. The World Bank
  25. McCourt, F. (2021). Developing Best Practices for Successful Public-Private Partnerships. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/mpampp_etds/376
  26. Memon, Y., Talpur, M., & Murray-Ruest, H. (2000). Capacity building for participatory irrigation management in Sindh Province of Pakistan (Vol. 16). IWMI.
  27. Murtaza, N (2017). Undermining local governance: a review of the Sindh local government system, 2013. Karachi: Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research.
  28. Naz, U., Mashwani, H. F., & Ali, S. (2024). Transformative Impact of Decentralization and Federalism on Democracy in Pakistan. AJAR| Asian Journal of Academic Research
  29. Nelson, M. J. (2016). Informal Agencies of Influence: The Interdependence of Social, Religious, and Political Trends in Pakistan. In: Mapping Pakistan’s Internal Dynamics.
  30. Popa, F. (2021). Some features of the new public management. Romanian Review of Social Sciences, 12(20).
  31. Rafique, S., Yaseen, Z., & Muzaffar, M. (2023). Historical Background of Local Government in Pakistan: An Exploratory Study. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 7(4), 352-363.
  32. Rid, S. A., & Murtaza, N. (2019). The local government system in Sindh: A critical analysis of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013. The Government-Annual Research Journal of Political Science., 7(7).
  33. Rondinelli, D. A., McCullough, J. S., & Johnson, R. W. (1989). Analyzing decentralization policies in developing countries: a political‐economy framework. Development and change, 20(1), 57-87.
  34. Saleem, T. S., (2014). The Extent of Devolution: A Comparative Analysis of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Acts 2013. PhD diss., Thesis. PIDE.
  35. Shah, A. (1998). Indonesia and Pakistan: fiscal decentralization—an elusive goal? Fiscal decentralization in developing countries, 115-51
  36. Sherdil, A. Z. K., & Rana, M. A. (2008). Assessment of Local Government System in Punjab.
  37. Sindh Local Governance Ordinance (2001). Finance & Cooperation Department, Government of
  38. Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2017). Metagoverning collaborative innovation in governance networks. The American Review of Public Administration, 47(7), 826-839.
  39. Wajidi, A., Khan, M. I., & Iraqi, K. M. (2003). A Study of Local Government in Pakistan with Special Reference to Devolution Plan (A New Version of Local Government System). Research Journal Social Sciences, 2(1).
  40. Wu, X., & Ali, S. (2020). The novel Changes in Pakistan’s Party Politics: Analysis of Causes and Impacts. Chinese Political Science Review, 5(4), 513-533.
  41. Yusuf, B. Y. (2018). The Politics of Pro-Poor Service Delivery: Insights from Nigeria's Conditional Grant Scheme to Local Government Areas. The University of Manchester (United Kingdom).
  42. Zaidi, S. M. R., & Khalid, I. (2022). Exploring the Derailing Factors of Local Governments in Pakistan: Structural Issues in Musharraf’s Devolution of Power Plan. Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review, 6(2), 695-708.