Breaking the Breakers brings together 11 case studies from Pakistani public governance. This volume aims to not just
guide students of governance and civil servants about the case method, but also to enlighten general readers with an
interest in public sector management. It is anticipated that these ‘governance stories’ would enable all readers to
appreciate some of the complexities of public service in Pakistan; for non-Pakistanis, these should provide deeper
insights into a difficult-to-govern country. Academic case studies are depictions and analyses of everyday events narrated as stories. While these narratives propose to educate and inform a broad readership, when it
comes to serious study these can also be used to explore the peculiarities of public governance in the world’s fifth-most populous country. For the more discerning, the cases offer a means to understand the reasons for administrative failure as well as appreciate the principles of good governance for improving future performances of administrative groups, projects, policies, institutions, and governance systems in Pakistan.

About the authors 

Syed Abu Ahmad Akif: Securing the first position in the national civil service (CSS) examination of 1983, Syed Akif
joined the Pakistan Administrative Service, the premium cadre within the federal civil services, and served on many
positions for nearly 35 years. In August 2018, he retired from one of the most prestigious assignments in the Pakistani bureaucracy: Secretary of the Cabinet Division. Previously, he headed the ministries of Inter-Provincial Coordination and Climate Change. He also served as Director-General Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Chief Instructor at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). He currently serves as a member of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission. He has edited and translated several books. In 2019, he was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, a national civil award for public service.

Muhammad Khalid Nadeem Khan: works for the United Kingdom Civil Service. Trained as an economist and policy
analyst at the Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC), University of Karachi, Pakistan, he first worked at National Institute of Public Administration as a Research Associate. Thereafter he earned master’s degrees from the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and London School of Economics. As a professional, he is passionate about understanding policymaking with a view to use the policy process for maximising the best interests of taxpayers. During his association with the civil service, he has led policy development on science and innovation, business growth services, and R&D investment.