Mystic bureaucrat

Exactly 39 years ago, a great Pakistani personality passed away on July 24, 1986. In fact, Qudratullah Shahab was not just a person; he was a bridge between intellect and spirituality, between politics and literature, between the self and the soul.

Born in 1917 in Gilgit, then under British India’s administration, Shahab joined the civil service after winning the Indian Civil Service competition before Independence and later held the highest positions after Pakistan’s establishment. He had the unique honour of having served the top leadership in the capacity of personal secretary to governor-general Ghulam Muhammad, Iskandar Mirza, and president General Ayub Khan at different times.

Shahab also served as education secretary, Pakistan’s ambassador to the Netherlands and was also associated with Unesco. During his brilliant professional career, he closely observed the corridors of power, state matters and international priorities, and the sensitive internal affairs of the bureaucracy. However, he stayed away from materialism and power politics.

Despite his high-profile bureaucratic roles, Shahab never seemed fully satisfied with worldly achievements. His stance on injustice, vulnerabilities and human suffering showed his moral and ethical consciousness, which later evolved into spiritual awareness.

This is what he highlighted in his remarkable autobiography ‘Shahab Nama’, presenting a detailed eyewitness account of his early life, student days, career, the establishment of Pakistan, bureaucracy and the problems faced by the state system.

The sincerity and truthfulness that shine through in the writing force the reader to wonder whether any official in the Pakistani government system can truly be so truthful, fearless, honest and God-fearing. However, all those who met Qudratullah Shahab described him as a good human being committed to serving people without any bias.

Immediately after its publication, ‘Shahab Nama’ set new records of popularity among intellectuals, students, diplomats and bureaucrats. Today, despite having been published almost four decades ago, it remains the best-selling autobiography in Urdu literature.

However, the aspect that impressed me the most is his very effective description of his spiritual journey. Throughout the book, Shahab wrote about instances of mysterious dreams, intuitions and inner whispers that guided him during critical phases of life.

He had a firm belief that whatever happens in a person’s life happens by the command of God Almighty. He believed that the real reason behind closing a door is that God has not placed any good behind that door.

He proved that the most effective way to achieve spirituality is through selfless service to God’s creation, whereas improving oneself, doing good deeds without showing off and standing by one’s principles is the real purpose of life.

Although he breathed his last on July 24, 1986, in the form of ‘Shahab Nama’, he left a literary masterpiece with concrete guidelines for every patriotic Pakistani to take our beloved country to new heights of progress and prosperity.

Through the Pakistan Civil Service Academy, I regularly took the opportunity to deliver lectures to newly inducted government officers. On such occasions, I used to advise them to make Qudratullah Shahab their role model at every juncture of difficulty and always seek guidance from the Shahab Nama. The book reminds us that even in the corridors of power, one can maintain integrity. Even amid chaos, one can find a solution. And even when surrounded by hostility, one can pursue a higher level of honesty.

Today, on the occasion of the 39th death anniversary of the great bureaucrat, author, diplomat Qudratullah Shahab, I propose that to make the new generation aware of his outstanding contributions, Shahabnama should be included in the education curriculum as a compulsory subject and civil awards for those who have shown exceptional performance in the civil service should be introduced after the name of Qudratullah Shahab.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani