Public service
THERE is a famous saying attributed to the second rightly guided Caliph Hazrat Umar which says that if a dog dies hungry on the banks of the Euphrates, Umar would be responsible for dereliction of duty.
The above saying indicates the sense of responsibility of the head of state. Indeed, the safety, security and protection of all citizens is the prime responsibility of the state. Besides, the state is also supposed to do everything possible for the well-being of citizens living under its protection. This is done with the help of state employees (public servants). The state can be effective if public servants, also known as the bureaucracy, perform to the best of their ability.
Unfortunately, the historical record of Muslim lands presents a very gloomy picture in this connection. With the exception of a few, the majority of public servants, including the rulers, have remained callous and insensitive to their responsibilities towards the people. For example, Muslims ruled the Indian subcontinent for nearly 1,000 years. They built many palaces and fortresses all over their jurisdiction and patronised art and culture but mostly ignored their primary responsibility — public welfare. They spent lavishly on their self-aggrandizement and rarely paid attention to public welfare.
An example of such self-aggrandizement pertains to Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah Rangeela who ruled for about 29 years from 1719 to 1748. During his reign, the Iranian commander Nader Shah invaded India but the emperor seemed least concerned about public security. His advisers kept him updated but he did not bat an eyelid while the Iranian army was fast approaching. As the anecdote goes, he used to say ‘hanooz Dilli dur ast’ (Delhi is still far away.) His army and bureaucracy were in complete disarray. As a result, Nader Shah’s invasion was followed by the looting and plunder of Delhi. Nader Shah took away immense riches, including the Koh-i-Noor and the Peacock Throne.
The job of public servants is a sacred trust.
The episode underlines the importance of public servants ascertaining problems in a timely fashion and making the right policies accordingly. We need to learn from history which provides many learning points.
The public servants who are employed by the state to run day-to-day affairs of government carry heavy responsibilities. Their job is a sacred trust, which does not allow them to be careless. Being custodians of the state, they are socially, morally and religiously duty-bound to ensure public safety and welfare. Sometimes, they have to work under acute pressure in a charged and polarised political environment but have to maintain professional discipline, integrity, sincerity and independence while discharging their official duties.
Pakistan is an Islamic republic and serving Pakistan is akin to fulfilling the Divine trust (amanat). Allah says “O’ you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your trusts (8:27)”. In Islam, every individual is answerable to Allah, therefore public servants need to keep this admonition in mind.
Pakistan has inherited the erstwhile British system of civil service. Though periodic changes have been made in the system, it needs total restructuring to meet the demands of public service. In 2006, the government constituted a National Commission on Government Reforms, tasked with producing an analysis and recommendations on how the government, its institutions and infrastructure could become more effective to meet the social, economic and political challenges that Pakistan faces. The report, produced after lengthy deliberations, is comprehensive and covers many aspects such as the restructuring of government at the federal and provincial levels, strengthening of district governments, reorganisation of civil services, revamping of human resource management policies and practices, etc.
The government should ensure merit in recruitment, training, postings, promotions and transfers. Over the last few decades, new knowledge regarding office automation, e-filing and other best practices has come to light and new ways of service delivery have been introduced. In order to serve the people better, public servants have to update their knowledge, evaluate their work and refresh their zeal and commitment periodically to improve governance and service delivery.
Many believe that the bureaucracy in Pakistan is bloated, corrupt and inefficient. These inadequacies need to be addressed. Bureaucrats should be equipped with tools to resist temptation in an environment where political loyalty is privileged over competence. They are expected to do the right thing — even when it’s not easy. They should uphold the highest professional and ethical standards and understand the high expectations the public has from them.
The writer is an educationist with an interest in religion.
Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2023