Punjab Civil Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1966 says “No Government servant shall, directly or indirectly, approach any Member of the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly or any other non-official person to intervene on his behalf in any matter”. “No Government servant shall allow any member of his family dependent on him to indulge in any political activity, or form a political association and be its member, or to act in a manner in which he himself is not permitted by sub-rule to act”. “No Government servant shall encourage meetings to be held in his honour or presentation of addresses of which the main purpose is to praise him”. “No Government servant shall live beyond his means or indulge in ostentation on occasions of marriage or other ceremonies”.
Although the above-mentioned rules are very good but, are such rules abided by our government servants? In my opinion “BIG NO” because neither the bearer of public office bothered to obey nor the state pays attention towards the implantation of such type of rules & regulations. Laws are the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which they may enforce by the imposition of penalties. Without laws, society would be chaotic and people would be able to do whatever they wanted. They give us the right to a fair trial, the right to vote, and the freedom to express ourselves. Rules are the regulations that the people under a government need to follow. They guarantee the smooth run of community life and help us learn and prepare for living in wider society. They form the basic values and morals of our legal system. Effective rule of law creates an environment in which a country can promote development, protect its citizens from discrimination, and ensure equitable access to justice for all. But perhaps our society has mentally accepted that RULES ARE FOR FOOLS. To speak of “the rule of law” at present may seem at best hypocritical and at worst a cruel joke. Therefore, no body either an attendant or officer, office or authority is ready to follow the rules and regulations in true letter and spirit. Right to information (RTI) is the right that you have, as a citizen, an access to information from your government and private bodies that receive public funds. Under Article 19-A of the Constitution, RTI is a fundamental right in Pakistan. Once I visited information commission and inquired that why documents are not provided by the PIO (Public information officer) within 14 working days? His reply was not only alarming but it also reflected the overall scenario of the public offices. “What is happening in Pakistan according to the rules and regulations?” he replied. I was studying an article related to PEEDA ACT in which author mentioned that actually PEEDA Act does not like an attack on the Employee; rather it is in favour of the employee as any employer cannot impose any fallacious inquiry or penalty upon the accused without concerning the law. The inquiry should be initiated immediately and without gap and recommendations may be submitted within 60 days according to Gazette notification guidebook PEEDA ACT 2006. But here is a long time for proceeding after the initiation of the PEEDA Act and the victims have very tough time and face many dilemmas till several years. There would rarely be a report, which is submitted in a timely manner rather I have seen many reports which were finalized after several years instead of 60 days especially in tertiary institutions. Recruitment policies & statutes are rarely observed by the university administration which cause litigation, unnecessary delays and even unrest among the society.
Indeed, the future of our beloved Pakistan lies in a strong, transparent, collective and accountable rule of law system. The absence of a proper and functioning concept of the rule of law in a society is likely to create a rich few and a poor mass. Let us learn a lesson from Sandra Day O’Connor’s words that Commitment to the rule of law provides a basic assurance that people can know what to expect whether what they do is popular or unpopular at the time.
The author is a professor of Islamic Studies at Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan
