PUNJAB Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal’s decision to quit his position and proceed on a two-week leave of absence is a clear manifestation of the tense relationship between bureaucrats and the current rulers of the province. It is unfortunate that he was driven by the ruling PTI-PML-Q alliance to a point where he found himself repeatedly requesting the federal government to pull him out of the province. Ever since the ruling PTI-PML-Q combine returned to power in Punjab, as a consequence of a controversial court interpretation of the Constitution’s defection clauses, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has given the province’s top bureaucrat short shrift. Particularly frustrating for Mr Afzal has been the excessive political interference in administrative decisions, especially the abrupt transfer of civil servants, undermining the principle of good governance. What the future holds for him is unclear; but he is unlikely to return to his job under the present political set-up in the province. That is arguably what Mr Elahi, who has repeatedly accused Mr Afzal of having helped the rival PML-N get Hamza Shehbaz elected as chief minister in April, must have wanted all along.

The relationship between politicians and bureaucrats has never been free of tensions. It is common knowledge that politicians across party lines have used the fear of punishment, abrupt transfers and patronage systems to keep the bureaucracy in line. However, the last few years have been especially tough for senior officers posted in Punjab. Many have had to suffer at the hands of the National Accountability Bureau. During the last five months, they have been caught up in frequent political changes in the province; there have been wholesale transfers by incoming governments, and this has made it difficult for them to take day-to-day decisions that have a direct bearing on the quality of service delivery to citizens. No wonder governance has suffered immensely as bureaucrats, instead of doing their job, prefer to curry favour with the ruling politicians in their quest for prized postings and additional perks. Over the course of the last seven decades, several civil service reforms have been introduced to build bureaucracy’s capacity and make it capable of effective service delivery. None has succeeded due to the politicisation of this important institution of state. With the country mired in one of the most serious economic crises in its history, it is high time bureaucrats were depoliticised to stop further erosion of the state’s legitimacy and writ.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2022