Secretary General, Tehreek-e-Istehkam-e-Pakistan President, Pakistan Media Council — International Wing
Introduction
The development of any state does not depend solely on its natural resources, geographical importance, or financial capacity. It also depends on how efficiently, honestly, transparently, and strategically its administrative affairs are managed. In the modern world, effective governance requires that education be managed with the expertise of educationists, healthcare with the knowledge of experienced medical professionals, the economy with the support of economic and financial experts, legal affairs by legal professionals, and energy and development planning by individuals with relevant professional experience.
In this context, the establishment of an eleven-member expert-led administrative council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is significant. The council brings together experienced individuals from different professional fields and assigns them responsibilities relevant to their areas of expertise. The underlying philosophy is that government affairs should be managed not merely on the basis of political affiliation, but also through relevant knowledge, professional experience, competence, and performance.
This concept also draws attention to Switzerland’s Federal Council, where a seven-member body collectively manages the federal executive. However, it is important to understand the constitutional and administrative differences between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Switzerland and to learn from their respective experiences in an appropriate context.
Switzerland’s Seven-Member Federal Council: Collective Leadership and Professional Responsibility
Switzerland’s system of government provides an important example of collective decision-making. Its Federal Council consists of seven members who collectively govern the country’s federal administration. Each member heads a federal department, while major government decisions are made collectively. The members are elected by the Federal Assembly for four-year terms, and the office of the Federal President rotates annually.
One of the defining features of this system is that government affairs are not left solely to the discretion of one individual. Instead, the heads of different departments work through mutual
consultation and the principle of collective responsibility. Representation of different political parties, linguistic communities, and regions is also an important feature of the Swiss system.
The eleven-member council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa raises a related question: can administrative performance be improved by assigning specific responsibilities to individuals with relevant professional expertise?
Nevertheless, a fundamental difference exists between the two arrangements. Switzerland’s Federal Council is elected by Parliament, whereas the current council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been formed under the Governor in the context of emergency administration and the transfer of provincial government responsibilities. Therefore, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrangement should not be described as a complete replica of the Swiss system. Rather, the Swiss model should be viewed as a comparative example of collective administration and sector-specific expertise.
Members of the Eleven-Member Council and Their Responsibilities
According to a report published by Dawn, an eleven-member Technocratic Advisory Council was formed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to assist the Governor and manage provincial affairs. The following is a summary of its members, their respective fields, and their available professional backgrounds.
1. Tariq Mehmood Pasha — Finance and Revenue
A former Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Tariq Mehmood Pasha has experience in financial and economic affairs. His responsibilities include provincial finance, revenue, excise, and taxation.
His experience may help improve tax collection, strengthen fiscal discipline, and ensure the more effective use of public resources.
2. Dr. Syed Aamir Abdullah — Education
Dr. Syed Aamir Abdullah holds a PhD in International Relations and has experience as a former caretaker provincial minister.
His portfolio may focus on improving educational standards, teacher training, curriculum development, access to schools, and the promotion of higher education.
3. Lieutenant General (Retired) Nigar Johar Khan — Health
Lieutenant General (Retired) Nigar Johar Khan is the first woman in Pakistan to attain the rank of three-star general in the Pakistan Army and a former Surgeon General. She has experience in medical services and healthcare administration.
Her expertise may prove valuable in improving hospital management, primary healthcare, medical staff training, emergency medical services, and healthcare facilities in rural areas.
4. Usman Saifullah Khan — Energy, Power, Planning and Development
A former senator and businessperson, Usman Saifullah Khan has also been associated with the board of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology.
His relevant areas include energy availability, electricity projects, investment, and development planning.
5. Amir Javed — Law and Parliamentary Affairs
Amir Javed is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and a former Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
His responsibilities include legal advice, reviewing the legality of government decisions, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, and promoting institutional coordination.
6. Samar Haroon Bilour — Information and Broadcasting
Samar Haroon Bilour is a former member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with political and parliamentary experience.
In the information sector, important priorities include the timely dissemination of official information, public communication, transparent government messaging, and clear explanations of government decisions.
7. Dr. Muhammad Irshad — Industries and Commerce
Dr. Muhammad Irshad is a former Chairman of the FBR, holds a PhD in Finance, and has been associated with the management board of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society.
His portfolio relates to industrial investment, business facilitation, exports, employment generation, and the promotion of industrial activity across the province.
8. Kifayatullah Khan — Home and Tribal Affairs
Kifayatullah Khan is a former Inspector General of Prisons and former Secretary of Home and Tribal Affairs, with extensive administrative experience.
His responsibilities include law and order, coordination between the police and civil administration, prison management, and administrative affairs relating to the tribal districts.
9. Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi — Auqaf and Religious Affairs
Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi serves as the Chief Khateeb of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been associated with the administration of Jamia Ashrafia Peshawar, and is the Imam of the historic Mahabat Khan Mosque.
His portfolio includes the administration of religious institutions, management of Auqaf properties, promotion of religious harmony, and improvement of welfare activities.
10. Dr. Sarfaraz Ali Shah — Minerals and Mining
Dr. Sarfaraz Ali Shah holds a PhD in Economics from France and has previous experience in provincial planning and development.
His responsibilities relate to the transparent management of mineral resources, responsible mining, investment, local employment, and opportunities to increase provincial revenue.
11. Asif Rafiq Afridi — Communications and Works
Asif Rafiq Afridi is a former caretaker provincial minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a business background.
His portfolio includes the supervision of roads, bridges, public construction, and infrastructure projects, with particular attention to quality, costs, and timely completion.
Potential Benefits of an Expert-Led Administrative Council
1. Sector-Specific Expertise and Better Decision-Making
When responsibility for a particular sector is assigned to someone with relevant knowledge and experience, technical information, practical expertise, and available evidence can be incorporated more effectively into decision-making.
For example, a financial expert can focus on budgets and revenue, a medical professional can concentrate on healthcare services, and a legal expert can assess the legal validity of government actions.
2. Better Use of Resources and Fiscal Discipline
Provincial governments must meet the needs of essential sectors—including education, healthcare, law and order, energy, and infrastructure—within limited financial resources.
Effective financial planning, transparent procurement, expenditure audits, and performance monitoring can help reduce the waste of public funds and improve the efficiency of government spending.
3. Prioritising Education and Healthcare
Education and healthcare are directly linked to human development.
Under expert supervision, government planning can focus on measurable indicators such as teacher availability in schools, educational outcomes, the performance of primary healthcare centres, the availability of medicines, and the quality of services provided to patients in hospitals.
4. Investment, Industry, and Employment Generation
Coordinated planning across industries and commerce, energy, and minerals can create opportunities for investment.
When business regulations are clear, energy supplies are reliable, infrastructure is adequate, and government approval procedures are transparent, the prospects for business growth and employment generation can improve.
5. Rule of Law and Maintenance of Public Order
Public safety, equal enforcement of the law, and effective administrative coordination are essential for sustainable development.
The involvement of legal experts and experienced administrators can strengthen compliance with legal requirements, improve coordination among institutions, and ensure greater attention to the protection of public rights.
6. Collective Consultation and Shared Responsibility
One important lesson from Switzerland’s system is that officials responsible for different departments should not operate in isolation. Instead, they should work towards shared objectives.
Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regular coordination among the finance, education, health, energy, and communications sectors could help ensure that decisions in one sector take the needs of other sectors into account.
Conclusion
The eleven-member Advisory Council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa represents an important administrative experiment whose performance should be evaluated on the basis of its practical outcomes.
The Swiss Federal Council provides useful lessons in collective decision-making, sectoral responsibility, and mutual consultation. However, fundamental differences between the constitutional structures and selection procedures of the two systems must be recognised.
The success of this administrative arrangement will ultimately depend on whether it delivers better education, healthcare, public safety, employment, investment opportunities, transparent financial management, and more effective public services.
If professional expertise is combined with transparency, legal legitimacy, public representation, and accountability, an expert-led administrative system may have the potential to improve provincial governance.
The objective should not be to declare any particular system the best merely because of its name or structure. Rather, the goal should be to establish a system in which decisions are informed by knowledge and experience, public resources are spent for the benefit of citizens, institutions operate within the law, and every responsible official is accountable for their performance.
— Azhar Mahmood Awan
Secretary General, Tehreek-e-Istehkam-e-Pakistan President, Pakistan Media Council — International Wing
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