Pakistan chief justice bans word ‘sahib’ for government officials. Here's why

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has barred the addition of the word "sahib" to the title of public servants, saying it unnecessarily elevates their status and makes them feel not accountable to the people.

In a two-page order, Chief Justice Isa said that adding the word sahib with one’s job title is not favourable as it may instil in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

"It is about time that the practice of adding the word sahib with one’s job title is discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, which may instil in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve," the order said.

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Chief Justice Isa's order came as he was hearing a bail plea in the case of a child's murder in Peshawar last year.

He observed in the order that the Additional Advocate General of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province had referred to a local deputy superintendent of police as “DSP sahib”.

"You have spoiled everyone by calling them sahib. He is a DSP or rather an incompetent DSP,…..and not a sahib…,” Pakistan Today reported Chief Justice Isa as saying as he reprimanded the Additional Advocate General.

Justice Isa observed that the case challan had only relied on two statements and there was a lack of proper investigation.

He added that this was a "classic example of an incompetently handled investigation".

The suspect in the case was granted bail by the Supreme Court, and it was said that the police did not conduct any investigation to determine those responsible for the child's death. This is the best case to quote as an example of a poor investigation, another report on the matter by SAMAA TV said.

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