The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday sentenced Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon to six months in prison in a contempt case about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar’s detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. IHC judge Justice Babar Sattar announced a reserved verdict sentencing Islamabad DC to six months in prison, SSP to four months in prison, and SHO to two months.
All three of them have also been fined Rs100,000 each for their misconduct and violation of the court’s orders dated back to May 2023. However, the honorable judge provided safe passage to the bureaucrat by agreeing to suspend the sentence of the Deputy Commissioner for a month and gave him time to file an appeal against the decision. That will surely provide him with an escape from punishment and face-saving to the court along with encouraging other power abusers to continue their unlawful activities with full impunity and freedom.
Historically, unlawful use of authority, play with the law, and manipulation of the constitutional provisions by government executives, particularly Police officials, Petwaries, Revenue Officers, and local administrators including Assistant Commissioners, and De[uty Commissioners is a routine practice that not only undermines the writ of the law but continuously contributes to corruption and bad governance in the country. In fact, no police officer or District administrator violates rules and disobeys court orders until or unless advised by the Senior hierarchy or encouraged by any political leader. Gien to to the lax Court’s verdict, all those government servants will surely not only escape punishment, but also elude accountability, and will be reinstated in their positions and receive all compensation in due course through a set procedure.
Historically, the Pakistani bureaucracy and government servants are across-the-board politicized and divided on political lines, while every other bureaucrat, police officer, judge, or general supports a political group are seeks backing from a senior bureaucrat or politician to grab lucrative positions in his career or avail promotion, deportation or posting abroad. Those government servants had always been ready to comply with unlawful orders of the senior hierarchy or fulfill the illegal demands of the political bosses that duly violated their oaths and service/ professional codes.
The recent cases of DC Islamabad and Commissioner Rawalpindi Division are nothing else than political affiliation and future investment of government servants to reach high offices in the future. After all, such kind of unconstitutional attitude of the people sitting in sensitive positions has brought our nation to the verge of collapse otherwise this country has no scarcity of resources and capabilities. Awfully, modern justice argues to protect the rights of the accused instead of the victims, uphold compensations in lieu of obligations, and promote nepotism in place of merit and transparency. That’s why our country lags in each walk of life.
