Perks of the privileged

An old friend of mine who is now settled in the US was surprised to know that senior level retired government officials in Pakistan are allowed lifetime services of at least two to three personal servants paid out of the national kitty. This is in addition to the usual allotments of plots, agricultural land and another tenure of three to five years in any government department. It can be argued that since they rose to such higher ranks by virtue of their hard work and being outstanding they deserve such privileges. The question however still remains: as a poor nation can we afford such perks?
Not only government servants, even politicians have such perks by virtue of holding certain important national jobs. It was in the news a few years back that a former speaker of the National Assembly and a prime minister belonging to the PPP got approved lifetime services of a battalion of policemen to look after their security. Do people of equivalent ranks enjoy such perks in foreign countries also? A poor country like ours cannot afford this unnecessary drain on the national exchequer.
Cdre (r) Sajjad Ali Shah Bokhari
Islamabad