From moving clocks forward as part of daylight-saving measures and imposing pillion-riding bans to blocking mobile and internet services to maintain law and order, those who run the affairs of state seem remarkably fond of the same old ideas and methods.
The good-governance rulebook of the powers that be is replete with coercive yet time-tested measures, all at the cost of public suffering: quelling protests by closing main roads and deploying shipping containers, declaring Saturdays working days and then revisiting the decision the next day, and imposing tax after tax on the general public to meet state expenses. Ironically, such measures are repeatedly used despite their human cost, with little effort to seek better and less painful alternatives.
This is not to suggest that those in power fail to recognise the need for new ideas to deliver good governance — a much-hyped buzzword invoked with particular gusto at the highest levels of decision-making. However, when it comes to creative thinking, identifying viable opportunities and developing workable solutions, the sheer lack of new ideas severely limits the prospects for improving the existing state of affairs.
Creative thinking is an essential process that requires successive rounds of brainstorming and deliberation, coupled with serious effort. It demands more than quoting the great minds of modern science in speeches, displaying their motivational words on walls, or recounting the making of such classic inventions as the light bulb and telephone to awaken the spirit of innovation.
Creative thinking is required to solve endemic problems
When cab drivers in Lima, the capital of Peru, went on a prolonged strike demanding an increase in fares, the city government effectively broke the strike by deregulating the conversion of private cars into taxis. The measure allowed car owners to use private vehicles as taxis without obtaining a mandatory licence. As a result, the striking cab drivers were forced to call off their strike within a week of its commencement.
In January 2016, the New Delhi municipal government introduced several measures to combat severe air pollution, including an odd-even traffic-management system. Under the scheme, private cars with licence plates ending in even and odd numbers were allowed to operate on alternate days.
In Rajasthan, people with more than two children are ineligible for state government jobs, while in Assam, those with more than two children are ineligible for government jobs and excluded from many other government schemes. A similar, though coercive, policy is now under consideration in Uttar Pradesh. Comparable two-child policies exist in Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Telangana, although in many of these states the focus is primarily on eligibility to contest local elections rather than on population control.
Beyond implementing familiar measures more forcefully, we also need to ask whether a better way exists and have the imagination and courage to pursue it
In November 2016, the Indian government launched a nationwide demonetisation drive by withdrawing high-value currency notes to combat black money, curb the circulation of counterfeit currency, and disrupt the financing of illegal activities. Although the overall success of the demonetisation drive remains widely disputed, the initiative was undoubtedly bold and unprecedented in scale, demonstrating the potential of unconventional policy interventions.
Pakistan, too, has had a few success stories. The most notable was a series of measures adopted at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the identification of coronavirus hotspots and clusters through a track-and-trace strategy to enable targeted “smart lockdowns” rather than shutting down all commercial activities. This demonstrated that those running the affairs of state can achieve better results when they are willing to devise innovative responses to difficult circumstances.
Of late, the installation of AI-powered CCTV and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras in Karachi to monitor traffic and issue automated e-challans carrying hefty fines is another welcome step. Such technology could potentially be utilised beyond traffic management to strengthen law enforcement and maintain law and order.
An alarming increase in incidents of snatching and theft, particularly in urban areas, calls for measures beyond conventional policing. The mobile phone, for instance, despite its convenience and utility, has also become a prime target for street criminals. Yet relatively minor design modifications incorporating specific safety features could make it considerably safer to carry and use while travelling.
Unfortunately, when it comes to crime control, “police” is often the first word that springs to mind. State authorities, however, can work closely with manufacturers to encourage them to incorporate innovative safety, better to say, life-saving features into their products, particularly high-priced vehicles, motorcycles, and electronic devices, helping to reduce crime even before police intervention becomes necessary.
A system of “licensed tyres” bearing a unique, tamper-resistant identification code permanently linked to a vehicle’s registration, chassis number, engine number, or vehicle identification number (VIN) could also strengthen crime prevention and law enforcement. The code would be designed to be difficult to alter, remove, or reproduce and could be recorded in a central database accessible to the police, traffic authorities, and other law-enforcement agencies. Such a system could help investigators identify and trace vehicles involved in theft, snatching, hit-and-run incidents, or other crimes, enabling offenders to be tracked more effectively and apprehended more quickly.
New ideas can also be explored to address street begging. If the problem cannot be entirely eliminated, it could at least be contained by allowing only verified individuals in genuine need to beg, while restricting them to designated locations within their own residential areas, such as designated spots outside mosques. Begging for money or food in front of relatives and acquaintances can be difficult and embarrassing. Therefore, limiting begging to individuals’ own localities could discourage professional begging and help ensure that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.
The examples cited above, among many others, make clear that the need for new ideas, creative thinking, and innovative solutions has never been more urgent for those in charge of running the affairs of state. Beyond implementing familiar measures more forcefully, good governance is also about asking whether a better way exists and having the imagination and courage to pursue it.
The writer is a communication practitioner. Email: faizanusmani76@gmail.com
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 17th, 2026