Daily Times

There is a famous saying: ‘If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won’t.’

This a lesson that Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan recently learned. Earlier this week, the special assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab had visited a Ramzan market in Sialkot. Her ‘sin’ was getting caught on camera berating Assistant Commissioner Sonia Sadaf over the ‘third-class’ produce on sale there. The footage soon went viral and social media was on fire, condemning the politician’s bad behaviour.

Dr Firdous has been lambasted for humiliating a woman civil servant in this manner. But I, for one, applaud her. Especially as the incident points to a bigger problem: the never-ending standoff between bureaucrats and the elected representatives of the people. A large number of Pakistan’s bureaucrats are busy plotting at their chessboards. History has shown us that many want nothing more than to send the government of the day packing; each man for himself. Others are in it for what they can get. They run high on benefits and low on delivery. Corruption in entrenched. It is said that this state of affairs is peculiar to Third World countries. None more so than in Pakistan. Here, civil servants are rarely held to account; often enjoying the protection of the heads of law enforcement agencies.

The educated class that is criticising Dr Firdous likely have the privilege of not relying on the Ramzan market for food essentials. They more fortunate than most. But it is for the majority that Dr Firdous rose her voice. Bravo!

It is not surprising that Dr Firdous lost her cool. Especially when negligence on the part of civil bureaucracy lands the government in hot water with the citizenry. For the public only see the politicians promising implement positive measures and failing to do so. They don’t see that the system itself is rotten to the core. Moreover, endeavours change this will likely prove an upward hill battle, especially since most civil servants are awarded permanent contracts. There is truth in the saying that public servants are here for life while politicians are here only temporarily. This reflects a power imbalance. The manifestation of which is the dreaded red tape, which opens the floodgates to bribery and corruption.

Former Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif was well acquainted with the psychology of the bureaucracy and treated the latter accordingly. Unfortunately, Dr Firdous has much to learn from him. Even so, she reminded the AC that the government is only answerable to the public and not to civil servants. And that the latter is, in turn, answerable to the people’s representatives. She was only demanding that the job be done. It therefore is quite mind-blowing to witness the overwhelming public support for the AC. Should she and the system not be held accountable when the people to go to the market and find that the price control list is not being adhered to? It seems not.

Dr Firdous has simply shed light on a chronic failure of the system. Yet she is being lambasted in the mainstream media and on social media. Politicians seeking opportunism, who have also rebuked her, would do better to visit their respective departments and undertake a performance review. Who knows what they will find?

The educated class that is criticising Dr Firdous likely have the privilege of not relying on the Ramzan market for food essentials. They more fortunate than most. But it is for the majority that Dr Firdous rose her voice. Bravo!

The writer is a PhD scholar in Media and Crime. He writes extensively on International Relations, Criminology and Gender Studies. He can be reached at fastian.mentor@gmail.com