The history of Pakistan's bureaucracy is replete with power struggles and institutional decay. Yet, in the fledgling years of the state, there existed a rare breed of officers who regarded public service not as an avenue for privilege but as a sacred trust.

Among the finest was Shujaat Ali Siddiqi (1901–1980), a man whose life embodied integrity, courage and humility. A distinguished officer of the 1928 batch of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Siddiqi stood second in the competitive examination behind Chaudhri Muhammad Ali. While Chaudhri Muhammad Ali, like Malik Ghulam Muhammad and Iskander Mirza, rose to the highest political offices, Siddiqi consciously remained a servant of principle rather than power.

Known in British India as an elegantly dressed officer, Siddiqi underwent a profound spiritual transformation after performing Hajj in 1946. He abandoned Western attire for a simple kurta-pajama, sherwani and Jinnah cap, grew a flowing beard, and came to be affectionately known as Haji Sahab. That outward simplicity reflected an inner discipline which became the defining feature of his public life.

At Partition, Siddiqi was Controller General of Military Accounts at Meerut and was transferred to New Delhi as Deputy High Commissioner. Zahid Husain, the most senior Muslim civil servant of the time and an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, was serving as Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh University while on leave........

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