Doing away with protocols

The focus of ‘doing away with VIP culture’ campaign remains limited to airports

Protocols are considered integral to VIP culture in a degenerating society where some people with a vulgar sense of pride, wealth, power and authority draw a false satisfaction of their superiority over the commoners. Pakistan has a long list of VIPs who are privileged to enjoy these official protocols and this list includes politicians, legislators, senior bureaucrats, military officials, law-enforcement agencies personnel and judges. Unfortunately, these protocols always had legal and administrative sanctions.

However, during the last few months we have seen a chain of administrative orders and notifications issued by different government ministries and departments directing relevant officials to put an end to this obnoxious VIP culture, by abolishing all sorts of protocols. It was in August last year that the interior ministry barred the FIA from providing any protocol to ‘influential’ people at any of the airports of the country. The Pakistan Customs and the Civil Aviation Authority followed suit announcing a ban on the protocol duties and services.

Now PIA, the national carrier, has announced doing away with all the protocols services being given to its own staff, government officials and influential personalities. According to an office order, staff members providing protocol duties to pilots and cabin crew have been withdrawn and re-deployed to other sections. It is not for the first time that we are listening to this popular rhetoric of bringing an end to the VIP culture. A similar decision had been made in the past, notifications and directives issued and then buried in the official files, of course not to be implemented.

However, so far the focus of this ‘doing away with VIP culture’ campaign remains limited to airports. Its most disgusting form is witnessed on the road where VIP convoys with dozens of vehicles add to the sufferings of commuters for hours on a daily basis not even caring for the ambulances stuck in the traffic jam.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2019.

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