LAHORE: In the flood-hit districts of Punjab, where entire communities remain displaced and relief camps struggle to meet the rising tide of human need, a new generation of civil servants is being tested in real time. Among them stands Mr. Adil Riaz, topper of the 52nd Common Training Programme (CTP) and officer of the 48th Specialized Training Programme (STP), currently enrolled at the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) Campus of the Civil Services Academy (CSA). Riaz has been entrusted with the charge of Assistant Commissioner Ahmadpur Sial, District Jhang, after the incumbent officer proceeded on medical leave.
Thrust into responsibility at a moment of crisis, Riaz quickly distinguished himself. Within days of his deployment, he established four relief camps, coordinated the evacuation of nearly 100,000 people within 48 hours, ensured the provision of three daily meals to displaced families, and partnered with UNICEF to distribute hygiene kits, particularly for women and vulnerable groups. His swift actions reflected not only personal commitment but also the deliberate nurturing of professional competence and leadership qualities at CSA. This story, however, is larger than the accomplishments of one officer. It marks the unfolding of a new training philosophy at CSA, which has expanded far beyond classroom instruction. Once centered primarily on lectures and theoretical modules, the Academy now emphasizes community-focused, real-time immersion. Probationary officers are deliberately placed in the field while still under training, ensuring that their skills are tested not just in theory but in practice.
The deployment of 55 under-training PAS officers across 27 tehsils in flood-affected Punjab is the first phase of this approach. In the second, 136 probationary officers of the 53rd CTP will also be dispatched to reinforce district administrations during ongoing crises. The initiative is being hailed as a bold model of pedagogy, blending academic rigor with hands-on field exposure to produce civil servants who are as effective in times of disaster as they are in offices of governance.
The Academy’s leadership-under Director General Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Director (PAS) Faisal Zahoor, and Director (Capacity Building) Dr. Syed Shabbir Akbar Zaidi-has been instrumental in shaping this vision. Officials maintain that the true test of training lies not in examinations, but in how officers serve the public when the state is most needed. “For those living in camps and reliant on relief operations, the state is visible only through the competence and compassion of its officers,” one remarked, underscoring the ethos of Khidmat-un-Naas that now defines the Academy’s outlook. This initiative is also part of the continuous tradition of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS)-whether in managing the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during the Swat insurgency, facilitating rehabilitation during FATA operations, or coordinating relief during the devastating floods of 2022. Throughout its enduring history, PAS officers, trained at the CSA’s PAS Campus, have stood at the forefront of national crises and emergencies, embodying the principle of selfless service. The present deployment of probationary officers thus represents not a break, but a continuation of this legacy-now refined through structured field immersion during training. “This is where the real test of training lies,” officials note, emphasizing that Pakistan’s common citizens-today living in camps and reliant on relief operations-must feel the state’s presence through the competence and compassion of its officers. By exposing probationers to real challenges at an early stage, the Academy ensures that they emerge as both empathetic leaders and skilled administrators.
The story of Adil Riaz is emblematic of this shift. From excelling in the classroom to leading evacuations on flood-hit plains, he represents the emerging face of Pakistan’s civil service-resilient, responsive, and rooted in the principle of Khidmat-un-Naas. His example, and that of his colleagues, suggests that the Academy is no longer preparing officers solely for the routine of comfortable offices, but for the frontlines of the nation’s gravest crises. As Pakistan confronts the escalating challenges of climate change and governance in the decades ahead, CSA’s training model-rooted in intellectual depth, practical service, and human empathy-may well stand as one of the state’s most significant investments in its future leadership. The floods of 2025 will be remembered not only for the devastation they caused but also for how they reshaped the philosophy of governance training, transforming probationers into frontline leaders prepared to serve with both skill and compassion.
News Published in Express Tribune on September 10, 2025.
