THE officers belonging to elite civil services across various departments and ministries seem to be uneasy and uncomfortable with the behaviour of politicians. Civil servants in our country have historically suffered during the regimes of various dictators because they promoted mediocracy and nepotism.

Nineteen officers who were the crème of Pakistan’s bureaucracy and all of whom were Indian Civil Service veterans were dismissed by Ayub Khan.

Then followed Yahya Khan who dismissed 303 bureaucrats — the pun being the rifle then in use in the army and known as three nought three — to sow fear, among civilian officers.

When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became President he sent home more than 1,100 bureaucrats for the flimsiest of reasons. Ziaul Haq to his credit did not dismiss any bureaucrat, but by then the civil service had been muzzled and neutered. All Zia had to do was to show the baton to get them to do the needful.

Those who followed Zia found that the civil service was manned by factotum willing to do their bidding, and the legacy of dictators has continued.

The previous two governments used the bureaucracy as a handmaiden for personal gains and power. If democracy is to flourish and prosper, the new government has to ensure a merit-based system that produces honest and upright officers who work for the people and the state and not the party in power.

Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad

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PRIME Minister Imran Khan in his address to bureaucrats has assured them of protection against political pressure. A question: what happened to the bureaucrat who incurred the incumbent railway minister’s wrath?

While we are on the subject I take the liberty of putting the following queries before the prime minister.

The PM will be long remembered if would equalise net earnings through pay and privileges of all civil servants, including judges and officers on deputation, in the same grade, vide Article 38 (e) of the constitution (Promotion of Social and Economic Well-being of the People).

The article states: “The State shall reduce disparity in the income and earnings of individuals, including persons in the various classes of the service of Pakistan.”

The PM can perhaps start by abolishing the prime minister’s prerogative which entitles some of the grade 22 civil servants to two plots upon retirement (One plot is worth about Rs200 million). This favour leaves much heart burning among not so lucky government servants from Grades 17 to 21 in the lurch.

I retired after cumulative 39 years’ service from the federal government in 2009. Today, at age 70, suffering from multiple diseases like fourth stage chronic kidney disease, blood pressure, diabetes, etc, I have not been allotted any plot or flat by the Federal Government Employees’ Housing Foundation even after nine years of retirement.

Amjed Jaaved
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2018