A Nation Stunned by the Suicide of Police Officer Adeel Akber
The news of SP Adeel Akber’s suicide has left the country stunned. He was among the high-scorers of his batch and was undoubtedly an intelligent individual. People across the country were in a state of shock over his suicide. Over the years, several other CSS officers committed suicide. However, the reasons behind their suicides have always been kept confidential. SP Adeel Akber’s suicide has once again brought the dark reality of the Civil Services to the limelight.
The Glamour and the Harsh Reality of CSS
Amidst a lack of job opportunities and increasing poverty in Pakistan, the CSS glamour on social media encourages thousands of youngsters every year to apply for the Central Superior Services (CSS). However, the passing ratio of the CSS is merely around 2.5 percent. This leaves most aspirants feeling depressed, as they have wasted their precious years.
On the other hand, their friends and family members working in the private sector gain huge salaries and experience over the years. Many aspirants and people perceive that CSS is a shortcut to success. CSS officers working in cadres having comparatively lower workloads use their social media to glamorize the CSS. This helps them earn huge sums of money by offering tuition to aspiring candidates.
Some CSS officers have also been found to be promoting different brands to earn money through their social media accounts. This further increases the CSS glamor among the youth. In addition, many youngsters aspire to join the bureaucracy due to their hunger for power. On the other hand, many passionate CSS aspirants perceive that by joining the Civil Services, they can change Pakistan’s corrupt system and serve their country honestly. However, the reality is the contrary.
The Concept and Critique of Bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy was coined by the French economist Jacques Claude Marie Vincent de Gournay in the 18th century. This word is the combination of two words, ‘Bureau’ and ‘Kratos’, where bureau means desk or office, while Kratos means rule. Later in the late 19th and early 20th century, a German historian, political economist, jurist, and sociologist, Max Weber, defined bureaucracy as a hierarchical, rational, and rule-based organization for gaining maximum efficiency. He was one of the strongest advocates of the bureaucratic system. However, he also warned that it is an “iron cage” of excessive rule-bound control that stifles individuality.
Although CSS remains the dream of thousands of Pakistani youngsters, its reality is contrary to the aspirations of common citizens. Pakistan’s bureaucracy is designed to serve the people sitting in power corridors. Over the past few years, the country has observed the excessive use of bureaucracy by different political governments in Pakistan to achieve their political agendas. Pakistan’s dynastic political parties have turned the bureaucracy into a tool for settling their political scores and serving the personal agendas of people sitting in power corridors.
The use of bureaucracy, especially the Police force, for settling political scores has further ruptured the already tarnished image of the police institution in public. Today, the Police institution is not seen respectfully in the Pakistani society due to political use by the ruling political parties in different eras. In addition, it is a widespread perception in the country that only officers closer to the ruling parties get promotions in Pakistan, a factor that instigates moral and financial corruption in the bureaucracy.
A Pattern of Tragedy Among CSS Officers
SP Adeel Akber was also a victim of the corrupt bureaucratic system of the country. As per different media sources, an institutional inquiry hampered his promotion for two years despite being the topper of his batch. However, he was later found innocent in this inquiry. Media reports suggest that he was suffering from severe depression due to this inquiry and the lack of promotion for the past two years. This also raises a serious question over the country’s institutional and judicial system.
In November 2023, Bilal Pasha, the then CEO of Bannu Cantt, also committed suicide. As per reports, he was found dead inside his room. Some of his friends maintain that he was suffering from depression. However, no further explanation for his suicide has been provided officially as of this writing.
In 2022, Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue, Imran Raza Abbasi, a 19th-grade officer, was found hanging from a fan in his house in Faisal Town, Lahore.
In 2020, SP Abrar Hussain Nekokara also committed suicide while he was on duty in the Police Training Center in Rawat.
In 2014, Nabiha Chaudhry, a 27-year-old CSS officer, was found engulfed in flames in her hostel room in Karachi. Police declared it a self-immolation case. The actual reason behind her death is still unknown. There have been many other such incidents where CSS officers committed suicide. However, uncertainty prevails over the actual reasons for their suicides.
The Burden of Service: Life in Pakistan’s Bureaucratic System
Indeed, the Civil Services is contrary to what common people believe. Contrary to the social media portrayals, the life of a civil servant is filled with complexities and is a perfect example of what Max Weber described as an “iron cage.” Every day, a CSS officer has to face a new challenge. Political pressure further increases these complexities. Moreover, there are no fixed office hours in the Police Services and Administrative Group. During a conversation with a CSP officer, he admitted that he often wishes he had never joined the Civil Services, as the job has cost him a proper work-life balance.
The Need for Structural Reforms
Indeed, bureaucracy plays a critical role in the efficient functioning of a country. Still, Pakistan’s bureaucratic system cannot function effectively without comprehensive reforms.. Pakistan inherited its bureaucratic system from British colonizers. However, over the years, no significant changes have been made in this colonial bureaucratic structure. On the other hand, Western nations have totally changed their bureaucratic structures to ensure transparency.
Recently, the state has suggested some reforms in the induction process of the Civil Services. However, such reforms would have minimal impact on the core issues of the Pakistani bureaucratic system. The first and most important step that the government needs to take is to depoliticize the bureaucratic system. To safeguard the mental health of civil servants, the government should make periodic psychological assessments a compulsory part of bureaucratic service. In addition, a proper work-life balance in bureaucracy is mandatory for the mental health of bureaucrats.
Furthermore, religious education needs to be made mandatory for bureaucrats throughout their careers so that they may refrain from illegitimate acts like corruption, misuse of power, and suicide. Moreover, the government needs to strictly ban the glamorization of the Civil Services on social media. Otherwise, the focus of the bureaucrats will shift from performing their duties to becoming social media influencers, as has been observed in recent years.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Mr Abdullah Nisar holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from International Islamic University Islamabad. He is currently working as a freelance journalist.