Favouritism: Doubts cast over civil service promotions

Senate body raises eyebrows over unmerited advancement

ISLAMABAD: A panel of the upper house of parliament has expressed reservations over promotion of civil servants who are either convicted by the top anti-graft body or their promotion was unmerited.

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet met on Monday in parliament with Senator Talha Mehmood in chair. Some 10 items were discussed, but the briefing on deferment of cases of various officers of different cadres in the Central Selection Board dominated the huddle.



Senator Mehmood and Establishment Division Secretary Nadeem Ahmed Asif talked about the policy of promotion, criteria for marks and formation of selection boards, coupled with improvements in the process.



According to the documents submitted to the Senate body, around 190 officers of different cadres have moved different courts across the country against the decision of the selection boards over their promotion.

Without naming the officer, the senator asked Asif about the criteria for his promotion when he was cleared after a plea bargain with the National Accountability Bureau. Asif said NAB should be asked about the status of such officers.

The senator said there was another civil servant who had been promoted while NAB was still probing his case. “This is a surprise for me as some marks are also given for integrity of the officer to be promoted. How come such people got the nod from the promotion board?”

The ED secretary said that from now on they would inquire about such people and improve the mechanism. The senator asked what about those who have already been promoted.

He also asked if it was a fact that some blue-eyed boys from the 15th common group were also promoted, overriding criteria of merit.

Asif denied that such a thing was being considered in the selection board, as it only discussed officers and their performance.



He sought help from the panel regarding the problems in the selection process and how officers of low competency made it to the upper scales. “Around 70% marks are given in quantification of personal evaluation reports relating to an officer’s past but, unfortunately, this is not the recommended way.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.