The plan was to write on how to balance the tapestry of life in order to find happiness, but the harrowing WhatsApp message, “SP Adeel Akbar has committed suicide in Islamabad,” was a shocker. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting the Officer, having served as IGP Islamabad and knowing well the pressures, both from within and from outside the department, made me very sad. The Officer is survived by a young widow and a four-year-old daughter, Shinaya (which in Arabic means ‘shining and bright’).

There are twelve occupational groups in the Central Superior Services, for which more than 15,000 boys and girls compete through the CSS examination each year. It is an examination about which the general belief is that it is purely based on merit. The pass percentage hovers around 2–3%, whereas allocation is around 1–1.5%, which means that on average, around 200 candidates make it. The two top groups — Pakistan Administrative Service and the Police Service of Pakistan — finish around the 35th merit position for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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SP Adeel Akbar was initially selected in the 43rd CTP in the Office Management Group. Later, he secured the second position in the 46th CTP and also topped the PSP group, staying at No. 1 position after training. The Officer continued his academic pursuits and was selected for the Fulbright Scholarship Programme in the USA for 2026. As per reports, he had to appear in his TOEFL exam the next day.

In the last few years, although official data is not available, based on personal knowledge, at least three to five PAS and PSP officers have committed suicide. Unfortunately, beyond declaring it as such, no meaningful expert study has been conducted to ascertain the reasons for this extreme step. These were........

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