My Interview:The rhythm of questions was unexpected (360 degree) but Alhamdullilah I dealt it well. I am sharing it words by words.


I entered the room and said “Aslam u Alakum”

Chairman asked me to have seat please.
Me:sat with thanks.
Chairman:You are Tayyab Siraj?
Me: Yes Maam
Chairman:You are from District Pakpattan?
Me: Yes Maam.
Chairman: just tell me about your academics.
Me: I told my educational background in detail.
Chairman: You are M.A Electronic Media,M.A English and LLB,why do you have so much diversified qualifications.
Me:Maam, though my qualifications are diversified but these are well knitted and well interlinked. I was good in communication but I wanted to be a better communicator, hence I attended ICS for M.A Electronic Media and that too is helpful in public service as it’s essential to have sound inter-personal communication skills. Similarly, besides other factors, English is considered to be the key to success in the competitive examinations and it’s pre requisite language of govt. offices as well. As far as LLB is concerned ,one must know the laws of land and a person having an even better understanding of law can be a good public servant and……(Chairman interrupted)
Chairman: Ok, Your score in CSS-2009 interview is very good,. How do you prepare for interview?
Me: Maam, I categories interview into 10 parts like personal life, optionals ,qualifications, current affairs, home districts, job description, psychological and some other areas but despite covering all the aspects I find myself at the lowest ebb.
Chairmanlaughed out loudly),
Chairman:why do you want to join Bureaucracy?
Me:Public service is my priority because it is an external equalizer for the marginalized segment of society. Moreover, my father has worked in public service and he has been teaching me the need to serve the people. And yes, self recognition, prestigious nature of job, horizontal and vertical mobility also contribute great factors.
Chairman:So this is your last attempt?
Me:Yes Maam.
Chairman:How do you visualize your career in civil service?
Me:Maam,I would like to develop understanding how the Govt. works and through my skills and departmental knowledge I’ll benefit the people and the Govt. as a whole.
(Chairman referred me to Member 1.)
Member 1:Tayyab,Why does media not follow the code of conduct?
Me:Sir,I beg to differ as Media is regulated by PEMRA and there is also Press Council of Pakistan.Furthermore,there is internal accountability system through which media houses hold accountability of their workers and then there is an external accountability system through which PEMRA can penalize upto 10 lakh fine and three years imprisonment. Whenever the situation merits, there comes accountability.
Member 1:What is the philosophy of Nimaz?
Me:Sir,Philosophy of Nimaz is gathering,cleanliness,punctuality and thanksgiving but it has social implications too what a Nimazi does when he moves in the society out of Masjid.He should carry the message of nimaz while behaving,moving or reacting in the society.
Member 1:Fair enough,What should be the qualities of a public servant?
Me:Sir,he should be proactive, adaptable, tolerant, disciplined having sound interpersonal communication skills.
Member 1:but it’s what you have mentioned as your strengths (laughingly)
Me:Yes Sir,a public servant should have these qualities.(a calculated smile)
Member 1:What should be the qualities of an administrator as you want to be and you must know about his qualities as well?
Me:Sir,the same aforesaid qualities.
Member 1:What is going on in Syria?
Me:a detailed answer .
Member 1:You like traveling, which country do you want to see?
Me:Brazil. ( I was at home about Brazil but he did not ask me any further question)
(Member 1 referred me to Chairman and then Chairman referred me to Member 2)
Member 2:You have said that public service is an external equalizer, how?
Me:Sir, it equalizes the strong and the marginalized person for the administration of justice and acts as a catalyst that after completion of task reverts to its previous position.
Member 2:But administration of justice is not the work of an executive..
Me:Sir, the concept of administration of justice is not restricted to courts only as there is social justice as well and secondly the powers residue with Assistant Commissioner ,SJM and others for the administration of justice.
Member 2: Agreed.But how can a public servant be external equalizer while working as Assistant Director Statistic Bureau Of Pakistan?
Me: Sorry Sir,I have no idea.
Member 2:Why didn’t you do any job from 2005 to 2009?
Me:Sir there was margin of freedom of choice about career and secondly, I was responding to the stimulus given to me by PPSC and FPSC.
Member 2:But when I completed my masters,I was worried about job.
Me:Sir my first thought about career was about public service and my determination, devotion and dedication is before you.
Member2.But you have been working in GEO TV and Business Plus TV as a trainee and it was quite easy for you to get a job in media,then why public service?
Me:Sir Again,there was margin of freedom of choice about career. Though media is a good sector but public service is far better than media, as resources and machinery of media as compared to public sector are less .Secondly,there I would be participating indirectly for the betterment of people,here I’ll be a direct participant for the progress of society. There I can highlight the issues,here I can implement.
Member 2:You are a proactive person, define what a proactive person is?
Me:Sir a person who takes responsibility of his own actions and the one who can deal with problematic situation positively is called a proactive person.
Member 2:Ok Here you go,what were the loopholes in your previous preparation for competitive examinations?
Me:Sir my writing speed was slow but I made it better and I qualified CSS-2009 and now this competitive examination.
Member 2:Ok but what supported you in CSS 2009,length or substance?
Me:Sir both.
Member 2:and this time?
Me:Sir both.
Member 2:Who is your favorite leader?
Me:Sir Quaid A Azam
Member 2:This is quite predictable, name some other leader
Me:Sir May I name some political leader?
Member 2:yes
Me:Sir Tayyip Erdogan is the alive leader I like.
Member 2:Wow Tayyip of Turkey. Well,why do you like him?
Me:Sir he has liberated his society from the clutches of extremism and introduced balanced democratic norms……
Member 2 wait wait,why does EU not give membership to Turkey?
Me: (Dil se baddua nikli)Sir there are many reasons and one of them is that Turkey is violating the human fundamental rights…
Member 2: No,you are wrong,it’s because Turkey’s capital punishment stance.
Me:Thank you so much Sir for increasing my knowledge.
Member 2:If you are appointed Assistant Commissioner Lahore Cantt.What will be your 5 top priorities?
Me:Sir,it matters when I am in the field but I am sure,I’ll perform my duties assigned to me by the competent authority under rules.
Member 2teasingly asked)And if it’s not under rules then?
Me:Sir I would believe in the sobriety of competent authority.
Member 2:If not then?
Me:Then I would believe in my sobriety.
(The panel laughed very loudly except me,but again a calculated cheese type smile)
Member 2.What are the duties of Assistant Commissioner?
Me:Sir , Assistant Commissioner is the face of the government, he coordinates with all the departments like education, health, police and all other departments in the Tehsil for smooth running of affairs. Secondly, as Assistant Collector ,he maintains land record, he is guardian of rights of people’s properties and he collects land revenue.And as TMA,he supervises developmental and non developmental schemes.

(Chairman intervened)
Chairman:what were your optionals?
Me:Maam,Mass communication,Social Work,Urdu
Chairman:Have you read Faiz Ahmad Faiz.He was a Punjabi poet too.Can you recall some of his Punjabi nazam for us.
Me:yes maam, Rabba Sachia tun tey Akhia c
Ja O bandiya Jagg da Shah ain tu,Sadian namtaan terian dolatan nei,sada nab te aali jah ain tu …..(Punjabi wasn’t my optional)
Chairman:What is the theme of Doctor Faustus?
Me:I told in detail as it was one of my favourite books.
Chairman; You are from Pakpattan,right?Waris Shah wrote his famous “Heer” In Malka Hans Pakpattan,some verses from Heer?
Me:yes Maam,”awal hamad Khuda da vird kiygiye,jinahye ditta su ishq da mool mian,pehla ishq hi Rab ne ap kita,tey mashook he Nabi Rasool mian”
Chairman:Why do sufi poets travel from “majaz to haqeeqat”?
Me:Maam,the sufi himself replies this question,”waris shah haqeeqat di lain lazat tei pehlan chakh k loon majzain da”.
(Then Chairman referred me to Member 3,a lady).
Member 3.Do you know about recent punjab’s educational policy?
Me:Sorry Maam
Member 3.Hali has written a long poem named Musadas,what’s its actual name?
Me:Madujazar Islam,Maam.
Member 3:What was it all about?
Me:Altaf Hussain Hali lamented about the vanished glory of Muslims and then suggested for Muslims the path of continuous struggle in their respective fields to regain the prior lost status.
Member 3:What is Kafia and Radeef,Makta and matla?
Me:Maam Radeef is last words repeated in a couplet and kafia second last words before radeef.Matla is first couplet of ghazal and makta is the last in which the poet uses his title,name.
Member 3:Any verse with radeef and kafia?
Me:Hazaroon khwashain esi k har khwaish pe dum niklay,Bahut niklay mrey arman,phir bhi kam nikley,Maam, “Niklay ,Niklay” is radeef and “dum”,”kam” is kafia.
Member 3:Is makta essential for ghazal?
Me:Modern trend negates it Maam.
Member 3:What is the difference between ghazal and nazam
Me:Nazam contains unified concept and ghazal means “conversation about woman”and it follows kafia and radeef,makta and matla.
She referred me to Chairman.
Chairman:Thank you Tayyab.
Me: You are Welcome Maam and Thank you the panel for your precious time.
Allah Hafiz.