Establishment Division may request court to reschedule CSB
‘Tight schedule’ in Ramazan may be cited for postponing board meeting
Islamabad High Court. PHOTO: Express
ISLAMABAD:
The Establishment Division is likely to request the Supreme Court to allow it to hold the Central Selection Board (CSB) after Ramazan because convening a day-long promotion board will be difficult owing to a tight schedule in the fasting month.
Several officers, privy to the development, also confirmed to The Express Tribune that the Establishment Division might opt for more time due to Ramazan when working hours are cut short.
“Yes the request is on the table and we might take that option,” Establishment Division Secretary Tahir Shahbaz told this scribe, adding that currently they were working on the documentation and planning for holding the board in time.
The apex court, on April 13, gave 10 weeks to the Establishment Division to devise a new policy for holding the meeting. Besides, the court set aside the promotion of over 300 bureaucrats notified in May 2015. The cut-off time for holding the board will end in the last week of June but the Establishment Division does not seem ready to hold it in time for several reasons.
Establishment Division faces a tightrope walk
About 40 officers of different cadres approached the court after promotions in 2016 which are considered discriminatory and biased by them. Now only seven cases are left in the Islamabad High Court while the Establishment Division has assured the court that the rest of the cases would be taken up by the board.
Usually the CSB has a hectic business of more than 12 hours where the board members discuss promotions of civil servants and finalise names before sending recommendation to the prime minister.
The CSB — which comprises 18 officers including chief secretaries, IGs and two politicians — recommends promotions from Grade-19 to Grade 20 and from Grade 20 to Grade 21. Another high-powered board headed by the PM recommends promotions from Grade-21 to Grade 22.
The selection board will deal with the cases of all promoted, deferred, superseded civil servants of CSB 2015 and a few from CSB 2016.
IHC issues notices to secretary establishment division
All previous three CSBs — held under the current government in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — have been mired in controversy with allegations of promoting loyal civil servants. Fingers were pointed towards secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad who was also promoted in the board of 2015.
The Supreme Court did not altogether de-notify the promotions of officers in grade 20 and 21 but it directed the Establishment Division to re-examine the promotions of all the officers considered in 2015.
Since 2010, the boards and their decisions have been challenged in different courts. Across the country over 400 cases are also pending in different courts, including the Federal Services Tribunal (FST), high courts and the Supreme Court.
The Establishment Division is likely to request the Supreme Court to allow it to hold the Central Selection Board (CSB) after Ramazan because convening a day-long promotion board will be difficult owing to a tight schedule in the fasting month.
Several officers, privy to the development, also confirmed to The Express Tribune that the Establishment Division might opt for more time due to Ramazan when working hours are cut short.
“Yes the request is on the table and we might take that option,” Establishment Division Secretary Tahir Shahbaz told this scribe, adding that currently they were working on the documentation and planning for holding the board in time.
The apex court, on April 13, gave 10 weeks to the Establishment Division to devise a new policy for holding the meeting. Besides, the court set aside the promotion of over 300 bureaucrats notified in May 2015. The cut-off time for holding the board will end in the last week of June but the Establishment Division does not seem ready to hold it in time for several reasons.
Establishment Division faces a tightrope walk
About 40 officers of different cadres approached the court after promotions in 2016 which are considered discriminatory and biased by them. Now only seven cases are left in the Islamabad High Court while the Establishment Division has assured the court that the rest of the cases would be taken up by the board.
Usually the CSB has a hectic business of more than 12 hours where the board members discuss promotions of civil servants and finalise names before sending recommendation to the prime minister.
The CSB — which comprises 18 officers including chief secretaries, IGs and two politicians — recommends promotions from Grade-19 to Grade 20 and from Grade 20 to Grade 21. Another high-powered board headed by the PM recommends promotions from Grade-21 to Grade 22.
The selection board will deal with the cases of all promoted, deferred, superseded civil servants of CSB 2015 and a few from CSB 2016.
IHC issues notices to secretary establishment division
All previous three CSBs — held under the current government in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — have been mired in controversy with allegations of promoting loyal civil servants. Fingers were pointed towards secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad who was also promoted in the board of 2015.
The Supreme Court did not altogether de-notify the promotions of officers in grade 20 and 21 but it directed the Establishment Division to re-examine the promotions of all the officers considered in 2015.
Since 2010, the boards and their decisions have been challenged in different courts. Across the country over 400 cases are also pending in different courts, including the Federal Services Tribunal (FST), high courts and the Supreme Court.