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ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised Pakistan’s bureaucracy. He described it as the country’s “real and permanent rulers.” Asif said bureaucrats had remained largely beyond effective accountability during Pakistan’s 78-year history. He said politicians had faced accountability on numerous occasions. Other powerful groups had also been held accountable at different times. However, he said it was difficult to find similar examples involving senior bureaucrats. The defence minister made the remarks while sharing a social media post about alleged financial corruption involving a senior bureaucrat. Asif said the bureaucracy had gradually become a powerful and largely untouchable class. He questioned why bureaucrats had not been subjected to the same level of scrutiny as politicians. According to Asif, politicians themselves were partly responsible for the situation. He said political leaders had failed to establish an effective system to hold the bureaucracy accountable. The minister also referred to a former bureaucratic ruler while discussing the influence of senior officials in Pakistan. He said the former official used highly inappropriate and insulting language against politicians. Despite this behaviour, politicians continued to tolerate him, according to Asif. Asif’s comments highlight his criticism of the imbalance in accountability among powerful sections of Pakistani society. His remarks also raise questions about the role of the bureaucracy in governance and decision-making. The minister maintained that stronger accountability was needed for all powerful groups. He suggested that politicians could not blame bureaucrats alone for the existing system because political leaders had also contributed to its continuation.

The Anti-Corruption Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged irregularities and appointments to key positions at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), raising questions over the appointment procedures and eligibility of several candidates. The inquiry report identified alleged violations of rules and regulations in appointments to important positions, including Director Finance, Chief Internal Auditor, Director Supply Chain, and Director Research and Clinical Audit. According to the report, a person was appointed as Director Finance despite allegedly failing to meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. The inquiry also found that the candidate who secured the top position on merit for the post of Chief Internal Auditor was allegedly overlooked. The report further stated that the appointment of the Director Supply Chain was made despite the candidate allegedly not meeting the required technical expertise criteria. Similarly, the inquiry raised objections to the appointment of the Director Research and Clinical Audit, stating that the appointee allegedly did not meet the required eligibility criteria. The Anti-Corruption Department said the appointments allegedly violated provisions of the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act and relevant rules and regulations. Based on its findings, the inquiry recommended that the disputed appointments be cancelled. The report also recommended action against the Chairman and members of the Board of Governors, along with other officials allegedly involved in the appointment process. According to the inquiry report, the disputed appointments remained in place for around three years, allegedly causing a financial loss of approximately Rs150 million to the public exchequer. The inquiry recommended recovering the alleged financial loss from the individuals responsible. The Anti-Corruption Department has also recommended verification of the educational qualifications, professional experience and certificates of the officials concerned. The verification is aimed at determining whether the documents submitted by the candidates at the time of their appointments met the prescribed criteria and were in accordance with the relevant rules. The matter has already been under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Department. A petition challenging appointments to key posts, including Director Finance, Chief Internal Auditor and Director Supply Chain, is also pending before the Peshawar High Court.