Being human

We have strange notions of accountability in Pakistan. We are not satisfied with audit reports or bureaucratic mechanisms that give holistic accounts of performance. No, we enjoy a good berating. The more humiliating the better. Extra points if it is done in front of television cameras and is broadcast all over the country. Because as a nation, we have convinced ourselves that this is the sole route through which we can get people to get things done in Pakistan. So, we applaud when a chief minister visits a government hospital and fires a doctor on the spot; we cheer when the highest judicial officer in the country castigates a sessions judge over a minor transgression, never stopping to ask ourselves what the cost of doing so might be.

This methodology of accountability is perhaps also why some people believe that democracy is not suited for Pakistan. Their argument is that there is something innate in our people which causes them to only be honest, just, efficient — take your pick — if there is some sort of autocrat swinging a sword over their heads. However, such notions are wrong and shortsighted.

Accountability, any system of accountability, does not ask us to stop treating people like human beings, nor does it mandate that we make fear the paramount motivating factor to get things done. Humans are capable of making mistakes, and the tendency to do so increases if the person who holds our entire career trajectory in their hands suddenly swoops down on us without warning. A system of accountability that does not take this into account is myopic to say the least. Similarly, demanding compliance solely through the constant fear of random checks that only happen once a year is hardly a great motivator. Instead of fear, has anyone ever considered instilling respect?

Any person, in any job, wants to be respected. Smart leaders realise this and try to make sure that they show it through their words and actions. Through instilling in them respect for their work, and the value of it, people can become more efficient and compliant workers. Similarly, it is by giving an office respect that more people are encouraged to aspire to be a part of it. Respect plays an important overall role in job satisfaction, leading to happier and more hard-working employees. Any CEO worth his salt will tell you the same.

It doesn’t take a psychologist to assess that the unfortunate sessions judge who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time on Friday probably didn’t feel very respected. What message does his humiliation send? Will it make the lower judiciary better? Or, will it merely fan the flames of resentment already existing within those officers? The life of a judge of the lower judiciary isn’t easy, and it is hardly fulfilling. The lower judiciary gets no respect from lawyers or litigants. It is a thankless job for low pay, abysmal benefits and little chance of growth towards the higher judiciary. You can count the number of people from the lower judiciary who have made it all the way to the Supreme Court on your fingers. So, when the chief justice tosses your phone at you in disgust as the country watches he isn’t doing the office of the district judge any favours. This is why such methods of accountability are understandably flawed.

There is also another aspect of accountability that we often tend to miss: equality. But, nobody will ever see a judge of the high court be subject to the treatment meted out to the officer of the lower judiciary on Friday. The same goes for police inspectors — as opposed to a deputy inspector general or inspector general. Because we just don’t respect them the same way.

All of this should not detract from the fact that the sessions iudge did make a mistake. But, it was a mistake that could have been handled better, without being blind to the fact that the judge is also human. Take him away from the media glare and explain his mistake to him; highlight his mistake — in private — to the Sessions Judge overseeing things; send him a show-cause notice. The point is simply this: that being in a position of power should not cause us to lose sight of our humanity or the bigger picture of what we want to achieve through accountability. It is time for senior officers to start respecting their juniors as human beings. Because really, we shouldn’t tolerate people being treated any other way.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2018.

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