Pakistan

PM! Deeds Speak Louder than Words
Thursday, July 2, 2009

According to The News International, Pakistan, Thursday, July 02, 2009

The usually soft-spoken Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani minced no words on Wednesday when he promised dire consequences for senior bureaucrats approaching parliamentarians and ministers for seeking favours in service-related matters.

He was speaking at the outset of the first cabinet meeting after the passage of the budget.It was an interesting reversal of priorities considering that only a few days back on June 27, The News had run a story about instances when the prime minister’s office was itself found involved in forwarding such recommendations based on the request of parliamentarians

Our worthy Prime Minister thinks that he can enforce discipline, good governance, honesty and other such like good values upon the bureaucrats without personally following these values.Otherwise, how else can the PM justify the recent appointment of a grade 20 DMG officer as ambassador to Paris. A few months ago, the worthy PM appearing in a TV program had promised that in future he would adhere to merit while making appointments. Where is that promise?

Labels: Governance, Leadership, Merit, Politicisation of Bureaucracy

posted @ 11:08 AM, ,

Politicisation of Civil Bureaucracy
Saturday, June 27, 2009

Political governments come and go. The government officials whose hierarchy is known as bureaucrats stay on. The postings, transfers and placement of bureaucrats are done according to well laid out rules and regulations. These appointments are supposed to be apolitical. However, now,that is not the case. The worthy Prime Minister who was earlier charged for unfairly employing people, when he was Speaker National Assembly, continues to do so, rather more blodly, as this times he is occupying a higher pedestal. The News International writes,

The bureaucracy is faced with such a sorry state of affairs that the MPs and politicians are openly recommending the postings and transfers of their favourites. The dilemma is that the Prime Minister’s Secretariat is found generous in forwarding such recommendations, which are illegal under the rules, to the Establishment Division and other concerned agencies for implementation. It is the consequence of such whimsical appointments that the Foreign Service of Pakistan has simply gone mad over the appointment of a grade-20 DMG officer as ambassador to Paris. In their petition, they said that the appointment of Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, DMG Officer of 1987 batch, as ambassador of Pakistan to France, is unprecedented, demoralising and most importantly a violation of the rights of the FSP officers.

His appointment is extraordinary for the reason that Imam has been made inspector general of Islamabad though he has not served as deputy inspector general (DIG) or regional police officer (RPO) even for a single day. After being transferred to his present position, he has become the youngest ever IG Police in the history of Pakistan.

The politicisation of the bureaucracy is distorting the very structure of this institution. It will be incorrect to say that our 'innocent' rulers are ignorant about the rules and regulations. It's all sheer misuse of one's authority and nepotism about which we hear long lectures and sermons but no deeds, rather what we see are the misdeeds.

Labels: Governance, Nepotism, Politicisation of Bureaucracy

posted @ 2:00 PM, ,