The Suthra Punjab Program: A Step in the Right Direction
Imagine a mural representing the painting of Pakistan’s development. From stories of unfulfilled promises of megaprojects and economic bailouts to political instability and bureaucratic bottlenecks, everything is caught by the pairs of eyes watching that mural, but an empty section of the mural is still being painted to present the most recent demonstration of public service, good governance, and bureaucratic efficiency. The depiction does not come from another country but from the streets of the Punjab province. Under the Suthra Punjab flagship program, during Eid-ul-Adha 2025, within three days, around 89,000 tonnes of animal waste were cleared in Lahore, and hundreds of tonnes across Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, Murree, and other districts. The inclusion of technology to foster digital coordination for complaints, along with the deployment of thousands of sanitation workers, helped pull off the most efficient sanitation operations Punjab has seen on Eid-ul-Adha.
Given Suthra Punjab‘s holistic objectives, its narrow association with a mere cleanliness campaign should rather be referred to as good governance and bureaucratic delivery. In times where critical discourse is dominated by skepticism about bureaucratic inefficiencies and power overlapping, Suthra Punjab has come to the forefront as a good example of driving green transition towards Pakistan’s public sector, thereby depicting bureaucratic coordination, quantifiable results, and grassroots-level impacts. The question, however, persists: whether this localized model can be replicated at a national scale, and whether our bureaucratic-political leadership is capable enough to transition it into sustainable governance rather than an episodic performance delivered only on Eid.
The materialization of the Suthra Punjab program into a reality during Eid-ul-Adha defies the generalized myth that Pakistan’s bureaucracy is innately inefficient. Instead, the initiative seconds the study titled Politics, Bureaucracy, and Successful Governance, which highlights that bureaucracies can—and are bound to—deliver when goals are well-defined, resources are provided, and institutional accountability is ensured by political leadership. The sanitation heroes in Punjab did not become dexterous in their jobs overnight; rather, well-directed, coordinated, and clear objectives, supported by political will, paved the way. From government administrative representatives to union council-level staff, the state machinery delivered because of a loud and vivid political signal.
Addressing the Shortcomings
The impacts of such initiatives are transformative. If, with a better governance structure and the right initiatives, bureaucracy can deliver in Punjab, there is no reason to believe that it cannot perform in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, or Balochistan. This depicts that committed and talented individuals are part of this very system. However, it is the lack of unwavering political will and operational sustainability that cannot materialize talent into performance.
But the appreciation should not be amplified to the extent that it sidelines the gaps. Post-Eid, there were several reports related to uncollected waste and improper follow-ups. The door-to-door waste collection began to appear hollow when unsatisfactory cleanliness performance in Dera Ghazi Khan and neighboring areas of Lahore came to light. This highlights that the urgency of the Suthra Punjab program should not be connoted as “event-based,” but rather seen as part and parcel of the day-to-day governance system. If cleanliness drives are treated as sporadic, sparked only by festivals and officials’ visits, and not embedded and institutionalized in national and provincial agendas, they will eventually lose their shine and appear hollow.
Additionally, despite the initiative’s appeal, the monetary incentive offered on Eid-ul-Adha and salary delays otherwise faced by these sanitary heroes, whose minority rights often go unfulfilled, are of grave concern. The work these sanitary workers have done under the scorching heat of the sun deserves more than a meager amount. In addition to job security and monetary incentives, the social recognition of these sanitary workers, often dismissed, needs to be highlighted. If these unsung heroes are to bear the burden of cleanliness, the system should, at the very least, reciprocate with fair treatment.
Making a Clean and Sustainable Pakistan
Nonetheless, beyond the critique, the Suthra Punjab program taps into a broader security paradigm shift, as at the heart of it lies the strengthening of non-traditional security. Pakistan, being a climate-vulnerable state with the constant threat of urban flooding, cannot afford poor waste management, which goes far beyond being a visual nuisance. Methane emissions from unmanaged landfills contribute to temperature increase, while the probability of cholera and dengue outbreaks is directly linked to mismanaged waste. Thus, Suthra Punjab is not merely a sanitary promise; it is a strategic aspect of Pakistan’s green transition and non-traditional security, contributing meaningfully to SDG 11 (sustainable cities) and SDG 13 (climate action).
What this highlights is the dire need to have an integrated cleanliness program under the banner of “Suthra Pakistan,” rather than limiting it to “Suthra Punjab.” Climate change impacts and disease outbreaks are transboundary phenomena. A non-traditional security threat, whether in Karachi or Gwadar, can ultimately impact Islamabad or Lahore. It is high time the federal government approached cleanliness as more than just a provincial matter. Interprovincial data sharing, establishment of a centralized waste management authority, formulation of national guidelines, and strong academia-government synergy can all help replicate the spirit of Suthra Punjab and transition it into the broader umbrella of Clean and Green Pakistan.
In summation, Suthra Punjab is both a testimony and a test. It is a testimony to the readiness of our bureaucracy when backed by political will. It is a test of the sustainability and scalability of such initiatives. In a country where hopelessness often masks hope, the Suthra Punjab initiative, while not perfect, shows that our system can work when we choose to make it work.
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Tehreem Tariq, currently working as a researcher, is pursuing her MS in Peace and Conflict Studies at CIPS, NUST, with expertise in non-traditional security. As an OSINT analyst, she contributed to post-conflict reconstruction reports with a focus on environmental governance as a peacebuilding tool. She was awarded the HSF Research Fellowship 2024 for her research on green finance and its role across Pakistan’s banking sector. Her work explores the intersection of green diplomacy, green finance, and the gender-climate nexus. She has published a book review of UN Peace Operations and International Relations Theory. Her work advocates for proactive governance and institutional collaboration for climate and security challenges.