“The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.”
-Oscar Wilde
“No institution in the country has so lowered the quality of our national life as to what is called Naukarshahi (bureaucratic rule). It has done so by imposing a caste system on our society. It has created a class of ‘Brahmins’ or mandarins, unrivaled in its snobbery and arrogance, insulated from the life of the people and incapable of identifying itself with them”, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, “Economic Reforms under the Bhutto Regime,” Journal of Asian and African Studies,1973.
Read more: Restarting the stalled bureaucracy – Dr Farid A Malik
Bureaucracy and governance
Pakistan’s governance and policies are implemented through the “Steel Frame” turned into the house of cards- its bureaucracy. The journey from the “inspiring” to the “ridiculous” has taken only about 70 years. Federal and Provincial Public Service Commissions (FPSC, PPSC), responsible for recruitment and promotion, Establishment Division, responsible for training and posting and political, and military leadership have played a key roles in this degeneration.
The civil bureaucracy ganged up with the military from 1958 to 1971to maintain a stranglehold on the country’s resources and remained a major powerbroker, albeit not an honest one. The primacy ended when in 1971 when the popularly elected government decided to call the bluff of the “steel frame”. Unfortunately, Bhutto’s restructuring made the bureaucracy more plaint rather than making it more responsive and independent. The shock waves of “deforms” resulted in demotivation, demoralisation and despondency among the majority of civil servants and replaced service delivery, and rule of law with indifference, indecision and apathy towards clients. Since then, it has remained stagnant, and a willing partner of all shades and colors of tyrants. It pains me, having served, and benefitted from the civil services to admit that Pakistan’s bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.
Political interference, corruption and reforms
Political interference and corruption are neither exclusive nor novel to Pakistan or its bureaucracy. It is the capacity, apathy, responsiveness and indecision that are eating into the trust of the people. Franz Kafka says in “The Castle”, “Official decisions are as elusive as young girls.” this has become the norm for the majority of officers as case files in the federal and provincial secretariats move more horizontally than vertically. “Please Speak”, “Please discuss” and “Please comment” have replaced, “Approved”. Over the last decade, the actual or perceived abuse of the Weapon of Mass Destruction, also known as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) became the favorite shelter of insecure officers to escape decision-making.
“Corruption is a curse in India and amongst Muslims, especially the so-called educated and intelligentsia. Unfortunately, it is this class that is selfish and morally and intellectually corrupt. No doubt this disease is common, but amongst this particular class of Muslims it is rampant.”, Jinnah’sletter to Isphahani,6th May 1946
Read more: Reshuffling of bureaucracy: A much needed change?
Corruption is always a trickle-down phenomenon, where the rot starts from the head. Political corruption became pandemic during the 1985 Non-Party government when the dictator, Zia not only side-lined the mainstream political parties but also corrupted the whole system by doling out development funds to members of the National and Provincial assemblies. That kept them busy with self-development works and lured them away from focussing on their core function of legislative work. Since then, corruption has seeped into our DNA and is now a part of our culture. Instead of making concrete efforts at the top, rooting out corruption has become a mantra for political point-scoring.
“I believe that reforms will not really take hold if they do not gradually come into the culture of the people.” Mario Monti, Italian economist and academic
There has been no dearth of attempted improvements; over twenty studies on administrative reform prepared by various government committees or commissions identifying the most serious problems, have come to naught. Reforms have hardly gone beyond rhetoric. To prove its insanity, the last two reform efforts were led by the same retired bureaucrat, with his own professional baggage to carry. How could the government expect different results? If he failed the first time, how is any good expected the second time with the same mindset?
Starting with Bhutto, successive military and civilian governments have ignored modernizing the civil structure to their detriment. They failed to realise how critical an efficient and responsive bureaucracy is for the state and the government and why would upgrading the stagnant machinery to respond to current day challenges help everyone in the long run.
The main motivations cited by interviewees for joining the civil service in the past were power, prestige and job security. Recent aspirants cited unemployment, corruption opportunities, nuisance value and the desire to have one family member in the bureaucracy.Our bureaucracy, over the years has become more of tribal networks and hierarchies, looking after their own fiefs.
Read more: Analyzing the colonial style bureaucracy of Pakistan
Recruitment, training, career planning and promotion
Above three are the cornerstones of every vibrant, responsive and performing organization, be it public or private.
Federal and Provincial Public Service Commissions are replete with retired civil, judicial and military bureaucrats, effectively blocking fresh blood and ideas into the system. The same people responsible for the degeneration are selecting the same people to carry on the same work that hasn’t worked.
The selection process to is skewed. Written tests are events and not issues-oriented, recruiting those who rely more on memory than logic and understanding. Interviews are designed to find out what the candidate doesn’t know than to gauge her/his comprehension of the issues and if they have the talent to appreciate what may have to be encountered. This has caused a complete breakdown of relations between rulers and scholars, so vital for state. Rulers from Alexander to the Abbasids and the Ottomans, all had philosophers and scholars as their teachers and were an integral part of their courts and governance structures. In developed countries, Think Tanks, and academia help is the formulation of public policies.
Not here!Flatterers, sycophants and plaint members of the bureaucracy and even members of the civil society find places on the right side of the rulers. Getting cues from the rulers, political and military alike, they stamp what they feel is the rulers’ bent of mind. There is hardly any space for dissent and dissenters are labeled incompetent and are parked safely away from decision-making posts.
Mushroom growth of Central Superior Services (CSS) academies, currently among the most profitable businesses, points to the rampant “ratta” system. Most of these centers are run by serving or retired civil servants and the objective is to clear the examinations instead of clearing the mind and acquisition of knowledge.
Over the years, Pakistan has developed an elaborate training regime for the civil service, starting with the basics and culminating at the national level. Here again, serving and retired civil servants and/or military officers head and staff the institutions. The only good thing different with the training is that most of the resource persons are from the academia or experts in that particular fields whereas Directing Staff supervises and assesses the participants. These training institutes must be given more financial, administrative and intellectual autonomy to further improve the regime.
Read more: Bureaucracy forcing PM Khan to change FBR Chairman: Shabbar Zaidi
Instead of planning careers of civil servants, the Establishment Division/ Departments have become post offices. Boards constituted for promotions at different levels work more for blocking promotions. During proceedings of one such body, when the Secretary Establishment raised objection to the promotion of an officer on the pretext that he has not done enough field appointments, I suggested that the officer should be promoted and the Secretary Establishment should be demoted for failing to plan the career of the officer. Similarly, when it was pointed out that an officer is “reported” to be involved in corruption in grade 20 should not be promoted to the next grade, I questioned the notion on the grounds whether he should be allowed to continue corruption in grade 20 but not in 21?
Linking promotions and appointments to intelligence agencies ’frivolous and biased reports (especially in case of the civilian reporting agencies), points to complete failure of the responsible entities, be those bureaucratic or political. Mostly, those officers get promoted who do nothing (me included).
Musical chairs at the federal and provincial levels have become a joke and the once respectable title of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) has become a stigma. Posting undeserving officers, and promoting incompetent bureaucrats are done with impunity. The adverse impact such steps have on the officers’ personal and professional careers, the service and the state is hardly a consideration. Alternates are the courts, involving a high financial cost or political patronageinvolving a very high professional and personal cost. Deadwoods continue to prosper and many promising officers suffer. Establishment Division has assumed the role of “The Establishment”!!!
Read more: The rotten bureaucracy of Pakistan and its love of leisure and dogs!
In short, the same people responsible for the degeneration are promoting the same people to carry on the same work that hasn’t worked.
Options for the state
Pakistan’s bureaucracy doesn’t need reforms, it needs complete overhaul and restructuring, it needs greater accountability, enhanced efficiency and transparency, rightsizing and reform of the cadre system. If radical steps are not taken and sooner, stagnation will continue and the State-Citizen relations would continue to erode. It would thus be vital that the systems of recruitment, training and promotion, and career planning is focussed on. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, except for the military, these are the most neglected sectors.
Pakistan needs to get the elephants (Federal and Provincial Public Service Commissions, Establishment Division/ Departments) out of the room. The first and foremost therefore should be dismantling the Commissions. Chairpersons and members of these Commissions should be hired from the private sector and appointed through an open and transparent process and these should be autonomous not just in name but in character as well. The new members will bring fresh ideas to reconstruct the system and will bring the civil service out of the proverbial “windowless room” in search of better public servants. Public sector recruitment in Pakistan has not gone beyond the Bronze Age.
In developed countries, recruitment has gone from selecting candidates on education to selecting on values and personality, the undue discretion of the selectors has been done away with by introducing Artificial Intelligence into the recruitment methods.
Any recourse to the courts against decisions of these entities in recruitment, promotions and posting should not be taken lightly and a verdict against these decisions should entail strict accountability of the persons responsible for those decisions.
Read more: Declining performance of bureaucracy in Pakistan
Civil service is about influencing society and culture and dignity, about making a difference in the lives of those who pay for their pay and perks and gratitude; it is not about bending backward to please those in power. Pakistan needs to replace the bureaucratic walls with windows and open spaces where the outside world is not looked at with disdain but with empathy, where people do not suffocate in the stifling environment but where fresh air, both hot and cold can acclimatize the insiders to the hardships outside.
A look at the new offices of technology giants in the Silicon Valley will amply reveal how important open minds and offices are for growth. Those coming in would have no previous baggage of kinships or friendships, groups or service networks to benefit from, damage others or provide services for benefits accrued in an earlier life.
Read more: Any officer found guilty will be dismissed, PM Khan tells bureaucracy
Civil Services are currently under the microscope, being criticized and even ridiculed and now would thus be the right time to rattle the cart. The government needs to initiate serious efforts through focus Group Discussions, media debates, and academic deliberations to arrive at the best indigenous solutions. The aim should, however not be to undermine, ridicule, or belittle the civil services but to rebuild it and make it a vibrant and organic institution.
The writer is an Inspector General of Police (retired) and Former National Coordinator National Counter Terrorism Authority. The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.