The Indian subcontinent inherited a system of governance from the colonial British empire. It was a brilliantly designed system fulfilling the needs, desires, whims and fancies of the rulers. It had some provisions for the wellbeing of the people as well, but that was more in the spirit of keeping things below the boiling point. It was never meant to fulfil the aspirations of the locals. Pretty much the same can be said about our own system of governance that is led and sustained by the bureaucracy as was the case during the colonial period.
The civil services were at the helm of driving the system and still hold that position. The attitude inculcated by the empire to serve its ends has survived and has ironically strengthened. In civilian matters, they enjoy complete freedom and no one has any sort of check on them. The politicians, who are supposed to keep them in check, have other priorities as they are elected for a limited period, and they have the desire to make the most of that limited, and often uncertain, period.
In such circumstances, the bureaucracy enjoys complete impunity from any sort of oversight or constructive interference in the affairs that are entrusted to them. A glaring example of such measures is the executive allowance. After the 18th Amendment, the provincial bureaucracy got a free hand to tinker with the system. The cash-strapped province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was the first to approve the executive allowance of 150 per cent of basic pay to Provincial Management Services (PMS) officers.
After a little while, being in a state of bankruptcy, the KP bureaucracy turned it to the running basic pay. The rest of the provinces followed suit, and now all of them are getting executive allowance which is worth more than their basic pay.
Similarly, gas-guzzling vehicles, armed escorts, free gasoline are the hallmark of our bureaucracy. This naturally is a great burden on the provinces which are happy to bear it with a grin as the country clearly has numerous resources that can be tapped to provide the bureaucrats the trappings that are so dear to them.
The state of Pakistan is already in a state of undeclared bankruptcy. The disgusting system of civil services, which we inherited from the colonial masters, needs to be thrown out. But, instead, it is cherished and even facilitated by the state.
The disparity in the salaries of the rest of the public servants has caused a great disconnect. If reforms are not carried out urgently, unrest is sure to follow, and all of us should brace ourselves for the next episode to unfold.
HAIDER ALI
PESHAWAR
