The tug of war between the Centre and provincial governments over the appointment of senior officers in provinces is not new. Not too long after Pakistan was born, a tussle between the central and provincial governments erupted on the appointment of the commissioner of the Rawalpindi division. Eventually, the Punjab government refused to accept the recommendation of the central government.
After some back and forth, the issue was settled and the provincial government accepted the appointment. The appointee of the central government was originally from UP India, who opted to serve in Pakistan. Unfortunately, he faced a lot of resistance from the local clerical staff and officers throughout the division. Although the officer was very polite in dealing with the concerned officers, he was not welcome or accepted. There was so much hesitation to accept him that he eventually had himself transferred out. I see that a similar tussle still persists. Such politicking between the federal and provincial government hurts the ability of officers who are more than willing to work and deliver for the public good. They become victims of dirty politics.
Politicians need to rise above their selfish goals and work towards appointing the best officers for top positions while letting them work without interference so that they can serve the public in the best possible manner. Otherwise, I am afraid that the administrative setup of the country will face governance issues in the hard times ahead.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2020.
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