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+--- Thread: STAFF CARS (/thread-staff-cars)
STAFF CARS - javed - 01-21-2006
Mr. Hafizur Rehman is a senior retired civil servant turned columnist. Through his weekly columns both in Daily DAWN and Daily The News he has written 8-10 columns on his favourite subject âStaff Carsâ. His second most favourite subject is why should not we give alams to those who raise hands before you, children who offer through your car window to sell you small items likes combs.
A fortnight back he again penned down his favourite staff cars subject. He narrated how important and a matter of ego is the staff car for a bureaucrat. He also narrates how the staff cars are misused which is a fact known to every citizen of this nation. He quotes an Officer in Sindh using his staff car as a wagon [perhaps two or three years back, if my memories are not misguiding me in my this retirement age I remember reading a news item that a Pakistan Embassy car in a Western country was found being used for home delivery of newspapers]. Mr. Hafizur Rehman further add that no government has ever seriously tried to control this misuse and lavish expense. However, according to his latest column, only Ms. Benazir Bhutto once took a serious and immediate notice when it came to her knowledge that a Minister was using about 8 staff cars for his family. But what came out of this serious notice he does not know. He wonders why should after all the staff cars be. Simultaneous to his latest column also came a news that the Cabinet Division was considering to amend the Staff Car Rules to make it more rationale. The outcome of it will exactly be the same as to the late 80s fate of use of small cars of high officials.
There are two angles in this matter. The one is proper or improper use of staff car allotted to an officer for performing the official duties. The other angle of it and which Mr. Hafizur Rehman has never touched, is the staff cars going home with a retired officer. Some categories of high ranking officials are entitled that on retirement they may opt to take home with them their staff cars on payment of depreciated or book value which is always very nominal. There are many such rules existing in our beloved country. For example recently two Federal Ministers took official watches worth Rs. 5,50,000 each on payment of just Rs, 45,000 of course legally under the procedure. During last one or two years of retirement of the concerned official the staff car in his use under one Note or one Summary undergoes major changes like change of new tyres, engine having collapsed needing new, new car seats etc, In fact during these last one or two years the concerned staff car gets completely new life, except the Hull, by injecting funds heavily. This big capacity staff car turned personal car on retirement getting ownership changed when goes home in fact merely goes on the cost of a second hand motorcycle.
It is very interesting to note from Mr. Hafizur Rehmanâs latest column that Ms. Benazir Bhutto took serious note of misuse of staff cars by a Minister. Mr. Justice (Retd) Syed Usman Ali Shah during same Ms. Benazir Bhutto created a new record in Pakistan by desiring to take with him a staff car third time on his retirement as Federal Ombudsman. Earlier, as per press, he had already availed of this facility once retiring as a Judge and second time retiring as Governor. On his demand third time the Cabinet Division or perhaps some other authority objected to it on the ground needing a clarification if a person having already availed the facility is re-entitled and according to the press report the case was then lying on the table of same Ms. Benazir Bhutto for her decision. Did she approve the retiring officerâs request or declined either I missed reading or perhaps the press had no interest to apprise the citizens of this debit ridden unfortunate nation.
However most astonishing for a reader and a conscientious citizen like me is that Mr. Hafizur Rehman who loves so much writing on staff cars has never wished to inform his readers about the fate of above summary lying with Ms. Bhutto. I cannot believe Mr. Hafizur Rehman would be as ignorant like an ordinary citizen like me because Mr. Hafiz Rehman has worked long in the office where the above official demanding third staff car lastly worked and Mr. Hafiz must have a natural link with his ex colleagues.