Bureaucracy and the Local Government System in Pakistan: A Case Study of General Pervez Musharraf Era

Bureaucracy and the Local Government System

Abstract

Pakistan adopted the Government of Indian Act 1935 as an interim constitution after independence
with some necessary amendments. In the early years, the state of Pakistan was run by two organs, the
army and the bureaucracy, while the foundation of the parliamentary system was based on
bureaucracy. The significant power of assemblies was transferred to some top bureaucrats and army
men. The bureaucrats made policies and also run the government.,. The role of army was also
significant because it was supplemented for the removal and change of the governments. Bureaucracy
was the only strong institution at the time of independence. The bureaucracy created the political
fortune of the country instead of the elected government. After 1958, the military used bureaucracy as
a rent-seeking institution to intervene in politics and rule the country. The survival of bureaucracy lies
in political and military nexus. This paper is an effort to explore the role of bureaucracy during
General Pervez Musharraf's tenure of nine years. General Pervez Musharraf maneuverer the country’s
political system through the amendment in civil services and introduced the new setup of the local
government system (LGS) through his ordinances and prolonged his rule.