Islamabad : The Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (PARD), a key national institution responsible for the training and capacity building of federal and provincial officers, is increasingly facing an uncertain future due to prolonged administrative failures and policy neglect within the Federal Establishment Division. Once regarded as a vital platform for strengthening governance, public administration, and rural development expertise, the institution now appears to be trapped in an ongoing governance crisis. According to credible sources, since 2020 not a single meeting of PARD’s Board of Governors (BoG) has been convened.
This prolonged absence of strategic oversight has effectively paralyzed institutional decision-making, delayed reforms, and weakened administrative accountability. The situation has been further complicated by the dual and additional charges held by Captain (R) Usman Gul, who serves as Director General of NIPA while also holding additional charge as DG PARD and DG Pakistan Provincial Services Academy (PPSA). As a result, the Peshawar-based PARD has been functioning without a permanent Director General, directing staff, and even a Deputy Director, creating a severe leadership vacuum.
Institutional insiders claim that key administrative and strategic positions within PARD are currently occupied by officers from NIPA Peshawar, raising serious concerns about institutional autonomy and governance integrity. Experts warn that nearly five years of strategic neglect have created a governance void where reforms remain stalled, policy direction is unclear, and institutional performance continues to deteriorate. The crisis has deepened amid the federal government’s ongoing campaign of right-sizing and public sector restructuring.
The government sources suggest that the future of PARD is under review as part of broader restructuring efforts. However, concerns are mounting that Establishment Secretary Nabeel Ahmed Awan and Special Secretary Establishment have shown reluctance and administrative inertia in evaluating crucial aspects such as institutional reforms, operational performance, workforce rationalization, financial liabilities, and alignment with national training priorities.
Meanwhile, the continued silence of the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Right-Sizing, Salman Ahmed, has further fueled speculation within bureaucratic circles about the lack of urgency in addressing the institution’s decline. PARD’s Peshawar campus spans approximately 50 acres and includes academic blocks, hostels, training facilities, and residential colonies built through substantial public investment. Policy experts caution that any abrupt or poorly planned restructuring, transfer, or downsizing of such a national asset could have long-term institutional and financial repercussions.
Analysts emphasize that if the government is seriously considering permanently transferring PARD to the province or reorganizing its structure, such a move would require formal approval from the federal cabinet, strict legal compliance regarding the transfer of federal institutions, and careful adherence to service and pension regulations. Without a clear legal and administrative framework, any hasty restructuring could trigger legal, administrative, and operational complications.
At its core, the pressing question remains whether the ongoing process will truly lead to meaningful right-sizing or merely result in institutional weakening under the guise of reform. Without immediate strategic leadership, active governance oversight, and timely policy intervention, PARD risks not only institutional stagnation but also the erosion of its credibility and relevance in shaping Pakistan’s future administrative and rural development leadership.
