Picture a police station in rural Sindh where the SHO answers not to the law but to the beck and call of the local feudal lord. A poor villager’s complaint gathers dust while the order of a wadera is executed without hesitation. This scene, sadly, is not an exception but the daily face of governance in Sindh.
The police, instead of being a shield for the weak, have been reduced to a private militia of politicians. The fate of an officer rests not on merit or honesty but on his willingness to surrender before illegitimate demands. Those who attempt to uphold the law are swiftly transferred, disgraced or driven into professional ruin. Integrity becomes a liability; obedience to feudal authority becomes the only path to survival.
This servitude extends across government departments. The SDO of Wapda ensures uninterrupted electricity at the feudal haveli while villages nearby remain in perpetual load-shedding. The District Education Officer transfers teachers at the whim of landlords rather than according to the needs of schools. Even minor functionaries — from irrigation to health — operate as extensions of feudal authority. In every corner of administration, the wadera’s shadow looms large.
The way forward is clear. Civil service appointments and promotions must be transparent, insulated from political interference and strictly merit based. Officers should have the security that their service will be judged by performance and law, not by their loyalty to the local elite. Only then can they act as true guardians of the people.
Sanaullah Mirani
Daharki
