LAHORE: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has once again set his sights on Pakistan’s bureaucracy, days after sparking a political storm with his earlier remarks. While clarifying that his criticism does not extend to the entire civil service, the veteran politician alleged that “25 to 30 per cent” of bureaucrats are mired in corruption.
Speaking to a private news channel on Monday, Asif cited figures from a Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) report, claiming that a staggering Rs3.5 trillion is spent annually on the bureaucracy. He added that, over the course of their careers, the state spends roughly Rs860 million on each bureaucrat.
“I will personally urge my own government to legislate on the bureaucracy,” he vowed, calling for mandatory annual asset declarations for civil servants. “No other sector has as much corruption as the bureaucracy,” he claimed.
The minister also took aim at what he described as “glaring inequality” in the rules governing dual nationality. “Politicians, judges, and army officers are barred from holding dual nationality but bureaucrats are allowed. This privilege must end,” he asserted.
Asif further criticised the “endless allotment of plots” to bureaucrats, insisting that such benefits should not be treated as a birthright. He said he had not anticipated the uproar over his earlier statement that some bureaucrats had invested in property in Portugal, but confirmed that an inquiry is now underway.
“I will expose those involved,” he pledged, warning that the public’s patience for unchecked perks and privileges in the civil service is running thin.
