Bureaucrats retired from high positions do not tire of serving the nation. They think the nation cannot do without their wisdom. Hence, after retirement, they bend backwards to secure cushy jobs for themselves. The wiser ones do not stick out their necks unnecessarily nor make unwarranted statements; they lie low and reap the rewards of silence by getting perks and privileges at public expense. What irks them most is when people question their usefulness. Mr Gilani's government would do well to publish a directory of the retired bureaucrats it has re-employed. I'd love to own such a directory. I even have a name for it: "Those who refuse to fade away". We have the largest bureaucracy in relation to our national income. A mere 'secretary' or 'director' does not head the department in our case; we have 'Secretary Generals' and 'Director Generals.' -MIRZA TUFTAN BAIG, Lahore, via e-mail, June 30.