Digesting MK Bhatti as PS to CM Punjab, a hard nut to crack for bureaucracy

Bureaucrats shocked at this prime posting from outside of the PAS

The appointment of Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, a Grade-22 non-civil servant, as a principal secretary (PS) to the chief minister has raised the eyebrows of many in bureaucracy.

A lot of senior officers are stunned on this prized posting from other than the administrative service. Bhatti has been posted as a PS after the Supreme Court declared Chaudhry Parvez Elahi the new CM.

Why did newly elected CM Ch Elahi not post, as per tradition, his PS from the Pakistan Administrative Service? One reason as the critics say may be lack of trust in the prime service of the country after the role Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and former inspector general of police Sardar Ali Khan played during the election day for the CM. Likewise, police action against peaceful protesters, families and others on the long march day may have made Elahi change his opinion regarding the bureaucracy. Earlier, during his first tenure as Punjab CM, Elahi had the fame as a media and bureaucratic-friendly chief executive.

Bhatti had to land in hot waters after the change of regime in the province. Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari in April 2022 suspended Bhatti along with three other officials allegedly for not following his orders. It was alleged that the said officers had colluded with those who attacked the Assembly proceedings and physically assaulted the Deputy Speaker. Other officers who were suspended included Secretary Coordination Ayatullah Lak, Special Secretary Amir Habib and Chief Security Officer Sardar Mohammad Akbar Nasir.

It is to be mentioned here that Mohammed Khan Bhatti was appointed as a low grader in the Agriculture Department and speaker Elahi recruited him to the Punjab Assembly back in 1997. He reached grade 20 in less than a decade and was posted as Special Secretary in the Chief Minister Secretariat during Elahi’s CMship. Then he was promoted to grade 21 and was posted as Punjab Assembly’s Secretary. Later, he was promoted to grade 22 by the Punjab Assembly’s Finance Committee. Being a non-civil servant, he has set a record to reach the highest grade equal to Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, or Federal Secretary, in the shortest period of time.

The PMLN-led government in Punjab had alleged that the secretary assembly was the main facilitator of hooliganism in the house. The Punjab police had tried to arrest Bhatti from the court premises in the assembly brawl case. Moreover, the Federal Investigation Agency had also tried to arrest him in a case of a sugar mill ahead of the CM Punjab election. The privilege motion was also under process in the committee regarding April 16 acts against the top police brass. On April 16, the House had become a wrestling area as many miscreants and police personnel entered the prestigious house. The PTI lawmakers had also attacked the police. The incumbent CM Elahi was also manhandled and injured during the course of the battle. Moreover, the PML-N had eroded the autonomous status of the PA putting it under the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department Secretary.

A senior officer was of the view that if any tussle started between the Civil Secretariat and the CM office, it would further affect the service delivery. He said that the same was expected between the latter and the Governor’s House.

The CM Elahi should overlook the recent past crises and encourage the dissenting notes by competent officers contrary to what ex-CM Shahbaz Sharif used to do. In wake of tragic incidents in the Punjab assembly, the CM should not come down hard on all the bureaucracy but rather on those who played a role. However, he should not ignore bureaupathologies including misuse of authority, corruption, favouritism, fraud, discrimination, and reluctance to take responsibility. If he as CM overcomes the delay in compliance and waste of public resources, by introducing technological interventions, he will invariably be a successful model. His office should not run a parallel administration but rather play a supervisory role only.

The bureaucrats, on the other hand, following the Indian Civil Service norms, should go by the book. They should act as servants of the state not slaves of the rulers. They should ensure merit, impartiality and dignity or they would have to face unceremonious exits from coveted offices like IGP Rao Sardar, DG Anti Corruption, and CCPO had to. Trust deficit, lethargy and undue political affiliations have badly damaged the glory of the prime service. If this continues, more ‘Bhattis’ will be occupying more prime positions like the CS, ACS and SMBR’s offices in the future.