LET us assume government office in Pakistan is a ride on the gravy train, where perks, power and privilege become birthrights, but honest work is open to choice. As the country contends with an economic crisis, questions must be asked: is wild expenditure suitable for a nation surviving on bailouts? Is the government completely indifferent to a failing social contract? New revelations about luxury cars for civil servants support the view that our officialdom believes in lording it over ‘lowly’, tax-burdened masses. Lofty claims of trimming government expenses amid a supposed austerity drive lie in tatters as the Sindh government has approved the purchase of 138 luxurious double-cabin vehicles for assistant commissioners and, apparently, more cars for deputy commissioners are on the cards. In Punjab, officials have adopted a more guarded stance about the recently purchased high-end cars for the speaker, deputy speaker and officials of the Punjab Assembly. The Sindh government says the purchase will allow officials to do their duties “effectively”.

The truth is that the intensifying trust deficit among citizens means precious little for the government because the levers of power, and the exchequer, are in the hands of a callous political class. Clearly, the PM’s committee tasked to cut administrative costs is another eyewash. A parasitic bureaucracy still upholds colonial customs whereby a struggling citizenry and flood victims are subservient to status. The sad fact is that as long as this culture of extravagance lives, a fiscal volte-face will remain a pipe dream. Every austerity measure has to be intended for the rulers and not the people; lavish freebies and lifestyles can only aggravate the economic meltdown, as the people live in abject misery. We need reforms in the bureaucracy, accountability processes as well as merit-driven recruitment that is free of political links and influence. The people of this country deserve competent, devoted and honest representatives who respect the taxpayer’s money and hold human dignity sacred.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024