Is there a distinct Islamic Public Administration? The Case of Pakistan, an “Islamic” State.

Raja M. Ali Saleem

Abstract

The role of religion in human life and at the societal level is being debated, restructured, renegotiated, and transformed all over the world. Although the twin orthodoxies – religion is everything or nothing – still exist, debates and negotiations are no longer limited to two extremes. Pakistan is seen by many as an Islamic state where Islam permeates all aspects of the state. Is there a distinct Islamic public administration framework, and does it exist in Pakistan? This paper intends to probe and unpack Islam’s role in public administration by first analyzing Islamic provisions in Pakistan’s three constitutions and Islamic laws, and then probing fifteen experienced bureaucrats regarding Islam’s influence on their work and overall public administration in Pakistan. A purposive sampling technique was used to choose a set of bureaucrats with diversity in terms of gender, type of service, religious observance, and ethnicity. Based on the literature review and the opinion of the bureaucrats, it can be argued that the existence of a distinct Islamic public administration framework is doubtful. The questionnaire results also show that Islam has minimal impact on public administration in Pakistan