EFFECTIVE governance depends not only on a country’s natural resources and financial strength but also on the competence, integrity, transparency, and experience of those responsible for managing public affairs. The formation of an eleven-member Technocratic Advisory Council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has brought renewed attention to the potential role of professional expertise in provincial administration.
According to media reports, the council was established to assist the Governor in managing provincial affairs within the prevailing administrative context. Its members bring experience in finance, education, healthcare, energy, law, information, industry, security, religious affairs, minerals, and infrastructure. This arrangement raises an important question: can assigning responsibilities to experienced professionals improve public services and administrative performance?
Switzerland offers a useful comparative example. Its seven-member Federal Council collectively manages the federal executive, with each member heading a department. The Federal Assembly elects its members for four-year terms, while the federal presidency rotates annually. The Swiss model emphasises collective decision-making, institutional continuity, consultation, and shared responsibility. However, Switzerland’s Federal Council is a constitutionally established federal government, whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s advisory council operates within a different provincial administrative framework. Therefore, the two arrangements should not be treated as constitutionally equivalent.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa council includes Tariq Mehmood Pasha, associated with finance and revenue; Dr Syed Aamir Abdullah, responsible for education; Lieutenant General (Retired) Nigar Johar Khan, associated with healthcare; Usman Saifullah Khan, linked to energy and development planning; and Amir Javed, responsible for legal and parliamentary affairs. Other members include Samar Haroon Bilour for information and broadcasting; Dr Muhammad Irshad for industries and commerce; Kifayatullah Khan for home and tribal affairs; Maulana Muhammad Tayyab Qureshi for Auqaf and religious affairs; Dr Sarfaraz Ali Shah for minerals and mining; and Asif Rafiq Afridi for communications and works. Their professional backgrounds may provide opportunities to strengthen sector-specific planning and administrative coordination.
Financial expertise could support improved revenue collection, budget discipline, and efficient public spending, while experienced professionals in education and healthcare could help prioritise measurable improvements in schools, hospitals, and primary health facilities. Coordination among energy, industry, minerals, and infrastructure departments could also contribute to investment, employment and regional development. Similarly, legal and administrative experience may support institutional coordination, compliance with the law, and public safety. Nevertheless, professional qualifications alone cannot guarantee successful governance. Transparent appointments, a clear legal mandate, independent oversight, financial accountability, public participation, and measurable performance indicators are essential. The council’s effectiveness should be assessed through tangible improvements in public services, economic opportunities, and citizens’ confidence in institutions. Switzerland’s experience suggests that collective responsibility and interdepartmental cooperation can strengthen administration, but these principles must operate alongside constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability.
Ultimately, the success of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s expert-led arrangement will depend not simply on the professional profiles of its members but on whether their expertise translates into better education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment, security, and responsible use of public resources. The central objective should be governance based on competence, transparency, legality, and accountability, ensuring that public institutions serve citizens effectively & equitably.
—The writer is PhD scholar, ULB Brussels, EU.