A FAMILIAR controversy rooted in an obscure decision requiring the intervention of the highest court in the land, the promotion of senior bureaucrats has yet again been ensnared in politics and litigation. The details are complex, but the crux is straightforward: claiming that a final round of promotions in the previous government’s tenure were heavily politicised, the current PML-N set-up changed the rules to effectively give the prime minister discretion in the appointments. Predictably, the discretionary evaluation based on reports of the alleged reputation and so-called integrity of individual bureaucrats resulted in claims of favouritism and discrimination. Equally predictably, the affected bureaucrats turned to the courts for relief and a short order issued by a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar has returned the matter to square one. As per the court’s instructions, the Central Selection Board will have to re-evaluate the cases of several hundred bureaucrats denied promotions — and possibly revisit the cases of those granted promotions under the new rules and now eligible for elevation to the highest slot, Grade 22.

Defenders of the government’s decision to amend the rules governing promotions suggest that it has helped weed out corrupt officers. But that only sidesteps the problem. If there are reports of corruption, why are the officers not prosecuted and only denied promotion? Moreover, with integrity and reputation evaluated presumably on the basis of intelligence reports and anonymous sources, there is widespread potential for abuse. Finally, by granting the power to make an overriding adverse judgement against a bureaucrat to the Prime Minister’s Office, the automatic possibility of politicisation of decision-making arises. The fearsome power of a small coterie of prime ministerial aides and bureaucrats to derail the careers of rivals and advance the careers of favourites appears to have been wielded with gusto. That practice must stop.

Ultimately, the problem is of a political set-up that is unwilling to relinquish its control of the bureaucracy. While politicians do have some legitimate grievances against the bureaucracy, especially when it comes to the bureaucracy’s ability to thwart legitimate policy aims and reforms of any government, it is the political class that ensures no real change for the better takes place. From the police service to public administration, ministers and elected representatives regard the bureaucracy as a tool of patronage and political leverage. By controlling promotions and politicising advancement, governments ensure an obedient bureaucracy — but also a thoroughly inefficient one, with officers forced to curry favour with their political bosses instead of having the job security to focus on running the executive and implementing legitimate government policies. Quite how to resolve the conundrum of having the political class promote reforms that reduce the power of the political class is not clear. What is clear is that it will take courage and statesmanship.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2017