ISLAMABAD - Establishment Division on Thursday submitted a report in the Supreme Court, wherein it has suggested long and short terms measures for the protection of the rights of civil servants.A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, was hearing into the petition of Anita Turab regarding the security tenure and arbitrary transfers of civil servants.The court directed the secretary Establishment to provide the list that how many senior joint secretaries and additional secretaries are waiting for transfer, while the junior officers are posted on high posts. How many senior officers are given higher positions than their scales but they are drawing salary and other benefits of their scales.The court asked the chief secretaries of the all the four provinces to make recommendations to protect and improve the structure of the civil servants. The chief justice said that apparently the civil servants are required to implement the lawful orders, as it has been held by this court. Time and again, it has been observed that any officer, who refuses to follow the unlawful orders are frequently transferred from one place to another or they are made OSD.The chief justice said that the civil servants are the backbone of the government machinery and if they are not treated in accordance with the law there would be breakdown of the system.  The chief justice observed that Waheeda Shah did not slap on the face of the political agent but it was the slap on the nation. The civil servants have to assert themselves, he said and adding that the Punjab chief secretary in missing prisoners of Adiala Jail submitted documents before the court regarding the missing prisoners and said that that was the situation.Justice Jawwad S Khawaja told the petitioner that the court has constitutional limitation. He asked from the petitioner is there no association of civil servants for raising their voice. Anita Turab said no. She, however, said that there are still officers, who take stand on the issues, but the culture has become such that majority succumb. She said if the civil servants are troubled unnecessarily then what they could do.Justice Jawwad said that civil servants are not personal servants, adding that however they have seen some officers, who work beneath their dignity. This is a moral dilemma, he said.The case was adjourned till October 18.