'Arrogant, Irreverent and Impertinent'

With these words, Zafar Iqbal was suspended from the civil service in August 1973. He was reinstated in mid-1979 with full benefits, and went on to build the National Development Finance Corporation (NDFC), and later served as Secretary Production in the federal government. Zafar Iqbal wore these words with pride. He was a small man, with a giant presence.
My first job in Pakistan was as a junior economist at the Economics Department of NDFC - that was late 1988.The team was small, but very much shaped by Zafar Iqbal, who by then was no longer the Chairman of NDFC. My senior colleagues had all been abroad for their studies; felt more comfortable speaking English; and had attended the Karachi Grammar School - I attended St Patrick's, and was the odd one out.
It was a unique work environment for the public sector. We were sheltered, encouraged to write what we thought was right, and allowed to attend senior level meeting to see how policy decisions were really made. Although the model of directed development is now unfashionable, NDFC was then a shining example of what could be done to industrialise a country. I personally feel the model used by development finance institutions (DFIs) was not inherently flawed; subsequent mismanagement and interference made them extinct.
Let's return to Zafar Iqbal. Yes, he joined the civil service in 1953; yes, he worked in the Bureau of National Reconstruction, the Ministry of Finance, and later the Economic Affairs Division; yes, he was Chairman of the Agriculture Development Bank, the FECTO Group of Industries, and returned as Chairman of NDFC in 1997, but it's those three adjectives that stick in my mind.
Are these negatives? At first glance it would appear so; but think harder about these words and you will see the man. One would be called arrogant, if one has the confidence to speak with conviction, especially if others are insecure and willing to toe the line. Zafar Iqbal was khandani after all, with a history of culture, education and achievement. Such a person would stand out, especially during a period when the caliber of the bureaucracy was systematically undermined.
A voice of dissent could be viewed as irreverent - the proverbial "How dare he!" This happens when one disagrees with seniors, with decision makers - especially those with large (and fragile) egos. This was a regular feature as Zafar Iqbal was pre-disposed to be engaging; mischievous; provocative and having a very, very sharp mind. Impertinent? The story is basically the same - someone who would speak his mind without a thought for the consequences. While Zafar Iqbal may have driven his seniors to despair, his influence on the next generation was nothing short of magical. He showed you what could be done by not conforming; he elevated the level of discourse and provoked people to question their biases. He basically taught us to be intellectually honest.
As we watch the institutional decay and corruption that is keeping Pakistan's economy well below its potential, one must reflect on the sort of people who have the courage and substance to challenge the system - and to do so from the inside. In doing this, let us not forget that during the 1950s and 1960s, Pakistan was viewed as an example for economic development to be emulated by other third world countries. We may not be there anymore, but as Zafar Iqbal has shown us, we have the potential to be a great nation again, as long as we believe in ourselves. These are the personal thoughts of Dr Mushtaq A. Khan, Chief Economic Adviser, State Bank of Pakistan.