Pakistan’s Institutions: We Know They Matter, But How Can They Work Better?

Wednesday, January 10, 2017 // 9:45am — 4:30pm

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Pakistan’s public sector institutions suffer from many shortcomings, complicating efforts to craft and implement sustainable public policies and to resolve the country’s broader development and stability challenges. These institutional shortcomings also enable non-state actors and the military to step in and fill roles that civilian institutions are unwilling or unable to serve. At the same time, encouraging reforms and success stories are in place that highlight the possibilities for turning institutions around for the better. This conference examines Pakistan’s civilian institutions and the governance reform efforts that aim to strengthen them.

This event has been made possible through the support of the Fellowship Fund for Pakistan.

Conference Agenda
  • 9:30 am Registration and coffee

  • 9:45 am Welcoming remarks
    Michael Kugelman, Deputy director and senior associate for South Asia, Asia Program

  • 10:00 am Opening address
    Ishrat Husain, Wilson Center public policy fellow Why institutions matter and where reforms should start
    Chair: William Milam, Denior scholar, Asia Program

  • 11:00 am Morning panel: Challenges and opportunities
    Madiha Afzal, Assistant professor of public policy, University of Maryland Decentralization and service delivery institutions.
    Mehmood Mandviwalla, Dounding and senior partner, Mandviwalla and Zafar Associates Governance—accountability, control, and transparency.
    Umar Saif, Chairman, Punjab Information Technology Board.
    How technology is transforming governance in Pakistan.
    Chair: Michael Kugelman, Deputy director and senior associate for South Asia, Asia Program.

  • 1:00 pm Luncheon

  • 1:30 pm Luncheon address
    Mohammad Zubair, Minister of state for privatization, government of Pakistan
    The Pakistan Story
    Chair: Robert Hathaway, Public policy fellow and former director, Asia Program

  • 2:30 pm Afternoon panel: Institutional case studies
    Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT)
    State of Parliament and Parliamentary reforms in Pakistan
    Waris Husain, Adjunct professor and doctoral candidate, Howard University School of Law and Washington College of Law at American University
    Judicial reforms and development in Pakistan
    Asim Khwaja, Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development, the Kennedy School, Harvard University
    Civil service reform in Pakistan
    Hassan Abbas, Professor and department chair, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University (Washington, DC)
    Institutional case study of law enforcement in Pakistan
    Chair: Michael Kugelman, Deputy director and senior associate for South Asia, Asia Program

  • 4:30 pm Adjournment