Old ways of 'New Pakistan'

A recurring theme in Prime Minister Imran Khan's pre-election promises of change has been to uphold the principle of meritocracy in all public sector appointments, freeing the police from political interference, and ending the culture of 'thana-katchery' wherein MNAs, MPAs and other members of privileged classes used local influence structures for personal purposes. Unfortunately, three events in the last few days show his government has done nothing other than to preserve the status quo.
In the first classic example of power elites treating the police as their handmaiden, Pakpattan District Police Officer (DPO) was hauled up, following an altercation with the First Lady's former husband at a security check-post, in the Punjab Chief Minister's office to be given short shrift by an MPA with close family relations with the lady. If that was not bad enough, without waiting for a departmental inquiry into the incident, the CM issued the DPO's transfer orders in the middle of the night. For obvious reasons seen as a brazen misuse of authority, the Chief Justice of Pakistan thought it a fit case for taking suo motu notice and initiated proceedings about the transfer under controversial circumstances. In the second incident earlier this month, in a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Supreme Court Registrar, and the Punjab Chief Secretary, Chakwal Deputy Commissioner complained that PTI lawmaker of the area, Sardar Zulfiqar Khan, was trying to influence the transfers and postings (something legislators have always regarded as their prerogative) of 17 members of the revenue staff. The letter further claimed that the Assistant Commissioner of Choa Saidan Shah, "a competent authority" in the matter had requested the transfer of five patwaris (sub-division level land record officers) and that on his refusal to entertain the demand to cancel transfer of a patwari from Kallar Kahar to Choa Saidan Shah, the lawmaker resorted to threats. According to a press report, although the MNA denied sending any list of people he wanted transferred or posted, he admitted having asked for stopping the transfer in one case because the "people were satisfied by his performance."
In a somewhat similar instance, a day later, Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner wrote a letter to his boss, Commissioner of Dera Ghazi Khan, saying that a prominent ruling party MNA Nasrulla Dareshak accompanied by his son Awais Dareshak had insulted him in his office for not complying with his wishes, and asked for the transfer of 'daffadar' BMP at any cost for allegedly supporting his political rival, former Punjab Assembly speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorani. Also, wrote the DC in his letter, the MNA told him not to order any transfer/posting in his constituency without his consent. The complaint needs to be duly investigated by the competent authority. Considering the prevailing reality, it would be hardly surprising if what the DC had to say is not true. Old habits die hard. Those used to claim entitlements as a right on the basis of privileged positions cannot be expected to suddenly alter their ways. That will happen only when they know interference in public officers' work has consequences. It is for the PTI government to make it known such behaviour is unacceptable in the 'Naya Pakistan' it claims to give shape to.