# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article “A tale of two tracks” by Ishrat Husain, Published in Dawn on May 29th, 2025:* The article contrasts the superior performance of Pakistan’s military with the declining efficacy of its civilian institutions, exemplified by the military’s success in the *May 2025* conflict against India, a nation with a *10-times larger economy*, *six-times larger population*, and *$600 billion* in foreign reserves. The military’s success is attributed to high standards of training, professionalism, and integration of technology, including *Chinese-supplied equipment*, real-time data, and cyberspace control, rather than just advanced weaponry. Institutions like the *Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)*, *KRL*, and *SPD* have thrived due to autonomy, merit-based leadership, and consistent government support, enabling achievements like nuclear capability. In contrast, civilian institutions, once exemplary in the early decades post-independence, have deteriorated due to abandonment of merit-based selection, rigorous training, and performance-based promotions. By the 1990s, civil services became unresponsive, inefficient, and self-serving, with a *2016 PILDAT survey* showing a *76% approval rating* for the military versus *29%* for civil servants and *25%* for police. Scientific institutions like the *Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research* have declined due to insufficient *R&D funding* and poor governance. The article attributes this to a leadership crisis, noting *16 prime ministers* in the last 25 years, and proposes reforms: implementing merit-based civil service reforms, devolving power to elected local governments, increasing *R&D* investment, leveraging military technology for agriculture, introducing *STEM* education early, funding overseas *PhD* scholarships in key fields, and ensuring elected governments complete full terms without interference. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: Pakistan’s military outperformed India in the *May 2025* conflict due to superior training, professionalism, and technology use, unlike the declining civilian institutions. While the military benefits from autonomy and merit, civil services suffer from inefficiency and lack of merit-based systems, with a *2016 PILDAT survey* showing *76%* military approval versus *29%* for civil servants. The article proposes reforms like civil service restructuring, local government empowerment, increased *R&D*, and *STEM* education to bridge the gap. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Implement Civil Service Reforms* Adopt merit-based recruitment, training, and performance management to restore civil service efficiency. ## *2. Devolve Power to Local Governments* Empower elected local governments with administrative and financial authority, reversing bureaucratic control. ## *3. Increase R&D Investment* Allocate more funding to scientific research and hold institutions accountable for results. ## *4. Leverage Military Technology* Use military expertise in satellites, drones, and digital tools to modernize agriculture. ## *5. Introduce STEM Education* Integrate *STEM* subjects from school level to build a skilled workforce. ## *6. Fund Overseas Scholarships* Support *PhD* programs in science and technology at top global universities, ensuring returnees contribute to research. ## *7. Ensure Political Stability* Allow elected governments to complete full terms without political interference. ## *8. Enhance Institutional Autonomy* Grant research institutes and universities autonomy to foster innovation and accountability. ## *9. Promote Technical Training* Offer demand-driven vocational training alongside higher education to match workforce needs. ## *10. Commercialize Research* Encourage researchers to patent and commercialize inventions through competitive grants. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: - Pakistan’s military outperformed India, which has a *10-times larger economy*, *six-times larger population*, and *$600 billion* in foreign reserves, in the *May 2025* conflict. - Military success was due to training, professionalism, and integration of *Chinese-supplied equipment*, real-time data, and cyberspace control. - The *Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)*, established in the *1960s*, achieved nuclear capability through autonomy and merit-based leadership. - A *2016 PILDAT survey* gave the military a *76% approval rating*, civil servants *29%*, and police *25%*. - Pakistan had *16 prime ministers* in the last *25 years*, indicating a leadership crisis. - Civilian institutions like the *Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research* declined due to low *R&D* funding and governance issues. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: - Pakistan’s *GDP* in 2025 is ~*$375 billion*, compared to India’s ~*$3.7 trillion* (IMF estimates). - Pakistan’s population is ~*240 million*, India’s ~*1.4 billion* in 2025 (UN estimates). - Pakistan’s *foreign exchange reserves* were ~*$15 billion* in mid-2025, per *State Bank of Pakistan*. - The *Pahalgam attack* on *April 22, 2025*, killed *26 tourists*, triggering the *May 2025* conflict. - Pakistan’s *R&D* spending is ~*0.2%* of GDP, compared to India’s *0.7%* (UNESCO, 2024). - The *Green Revolution* in Pakistan (1960s–1970s) increased agricultural yields by *50%* (FAO data). # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *What contributed to Pakistan’s military success in the May 2025 conflict?* A. Larger economy *B. Training and professionalism* C. Superior population size D. More IT exports ### 2. *What was the approval rating of the military in the 2016 PILDAT survey?* A. 29% *B. 76%* C. 25% D. 50% ### 3. *How many prime ministers did Pakistan have in the last 25 years?* A. 10 *B. 16* C. 20 D. 12 ### 4. *Which institution was noted for its role in nuclear capability development?* A. SPD *B. PAEC* C. KRL D. PCSIR ### 5. *What is a proposed solution to improve civilian institutions?* A. Increase military funding *B. Implement civil service reforms* C. Reduce R&D investment D. Limit local government powers # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Formidable* (دہشت انگیز) – Inspiring fear or respect due to strength 2. *Synergies* (ہم آہنگی) – Combined effects greater than individual efforts 3. *Exemplary* (مثالی) – Serving as a model or example 4. *Autonomy* (خودمختاری) – Independence or self-governance 5. *Mediocre* (اوسط) – Average or below standard quality 6. *Sloth* (سستی) – Laziness or lack of effort 7. *Inertia* (جمود) – Resistance to change or action 8. *Parochial* (تنگ نظری) – Narrow-minded or limited in scope 9. *Unresponsive* (غیر جوابدہ) – Not reacting or addressing needs 10. *Cynics* (مذمت کرنے والے) – People distrustful of human sincerity 11. *Breakthroughs* (کامیابیاں) – Significant advancements or discoveries 12. *Dysfunctional* (ناکارہ) – Not operating effectively 13. *Expeditiously* (تیزی سے) – Quickly and efficiently 14. *Devolved* (منتقل کرنا) – Transferred power to a lower level 15. *Retrogressive* (رجعت پسند) – Moving backward or regressing 16. *Accountable* (جوابدہ) – Responsible for results or actions 17. *Commercialise* (تجارتی بنانا) – Turn into a profit-making activity 18. *Aptitude* (صلاحیت) – Natural ability or skill 19. *Allocation* (مختص کرنا) – Distribution or assignment of resources 20. *Engineering* (ہیرا پھیری) – Manipulating outcomes, often secretly --- 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. 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Click the link below to join now 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link*: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y) --- *www.dawn.com* *A tale of two tracks* *Ishrat Husain* *7–8 minutes* THE recent impressive performance of Pakistan’s armed forces against a formidable adversary, enjoying favourable distribution of conventional forces, a 10-times larger economy, six times in population, a leading global exporter of IT and IT-enabled services, having huge forex reserves of over $600 billion, has made the nation proud. The question that needs to be answered is: how come the performance of our military (1971 being an exception) has been so consistently superior compared to our civilian institutions? Why is the gap between these two parallel tracks — military and civil — widening and why have there been no synergies between the two? Foreign observers have noted that it was not superior equipment, missiles, satellites, radar, drones etc placed at our disposal by China but the high standards of training, exemplary professionalism, commendable utilisation and timely integration of all equipment and use of real-time digital data and cyberspace control that led to Pakistan’s superior outcome. The story around our nuclear capability is similar. Pakistan established the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1960s and trained a large number of talented young men at the best universities abroad. Upon their return they made the commission a highly professional organisation which played a major role in the development of nuclear capability. PAEC was given full autonomy and all leadership appointments were made on merit. The development of KRL and other ancillary facilities was fully supported by every government irrespective of its political orientation. They were provided full autonomy and financial resources enabling them to achieve the assigned goals. More recently SPD and defence production are traversing the same path. Sloth and inertia have made the civil services unresponsive and inefficient. The contrasting picture of our military and civilian institutions brings forth that it is the combination of human capital formation, mastery of technology, sense of the leadership’s commitment that is the major explanatory factor. How did the military acquire this superior position in the institutional architecture of the country? In the earlier decades, the civil services were in the forefront of nation-building as well as economic development efforts. They attracted the best talent and enjoyed high standards of competence, integrity and commitment to resolve the problems faced by citizens. The armed forces, on the other hand, recruited mostly mediocre individuals with limited education and exposure. Over succeeding decades, the civil services, however, abandoned the principles of selection on merit, rigorous training, promotion based on performance and regular weeding out of those who did not perform. Meanwhile the military adopted and continued to follow these principles. They transformed mediocre individuals into first-rate human resources while the civil services in the years since the 1990s turned first-rate talent either into cynics or self-serving individuals. Sloth, inertia and catering to the parochial interests of the ruling parties rather than serving the populace have made the civil services quite unresponsive and inefficient. A 2016 nationwide public opinion survey conducted by independent think tank PILDAT showed that the armed forces had the top approval rating of 76 per cent while government officers, ie civil servants and the police, were at the bottom with approval ratings of 29 and 25pc. In technology we had excellent institutions such as Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research under the leadership of Dr Salimuzzman Siddiqui, way ahead of its Indian counterpart, the Cotton Research Institute, West Pakistan Agriculture Institutes that brought about breakthroughs in cotton and the Green Revolution. Our scientific and research institutions and universities are today not producing the kind of expertise that can address the problems facing the country. Partly it is a lack of financial allocation for research and development (R&D) and partly it is the governance issue that has led to the present dysfunctional state of our institutions. Leadership crisis is so obvious that it needs no elaboration. A country which has had 16 prime ministers in the last 25 years cannot boast of having a committed leader for an extended period of time. What are the priority actions that can set the civilian institutions back on track? First and foremost is the implementation of civil service and institutional reforms. A detailed reform package covering induction and recruitment, training and development, career progression, performance management, compensation and benefits, severance and retirement, induction of technical experts in the ministries and departments, opening up senior executive positions to all cadres, non-cadre, ex-cadre officers without any reservations, reorganisation of the federal government has been developed after wide consultation. These recommendations have to be implemented expeditiously as the resistance is quite fierce. Second, administrative and financial powers have to be devolved from the provinces to directly elected local governments. The present law in Punjab where the bureaucracy rather than elected representatives has been given primacy is a retrogressive step and needs to be reversed. Third, increased investment in R&D in science and technology providing the research institutes and universities specific goals and holding them accountable for results, but given full autonomy. Researchers should compete for grants focused on socioeconomic problems of Pakistan through a competitive process and encouraged to commercialise their own patents and inventions. Fourth, accelerate the use of technology in agriculture by using satellites, sensors, drones, digital devices etc with the help of relevant military experts. Fifth, introduce STEM subjects right from the school level and give choices to students, after nine years of compulsory schooling, to opt either for higher education or for demand-driven technical and vocational training based on their aptitude. Fifth, the overseas scholarship programmes should be aimed at PhDs in science, emerging technologies, engineering subjects at top global universities and the returnees absorbed in our universities and research institutes with seed money for setting up their own labs or equipment. Sixth, most critical is that popularly elected governments should be allowed to complete their full term without any political engineering. The writer is the author of Development Pathways: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh 1947-2022. Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2025