Fate of 1,164 civil servants: CSB all set to (re)consider promotions next week

SC had given 10 weeks to the Establishment Division on April 13 to devise a new policy for promotions

ISLAMABAD: In line with the top court’s order, the Establishment Division is all set to hold the Central Selection Board (CSB) meeting next week to reconsider promotions of 1,164 civil servants of grades 19, 20 and 21, it was learnt on Tuesday.

On April 13 this year, the Supreme Court had given 10 weeks to the Establishment Division to devise a new policy for promotions.

The court had set aside the promotions of over 300 bureaucrats notified in May 2015 after dozens of civil servants had moved the court against the CSB for favouring blue-eyed persons. The cut-off time for holding the board meeting was June 22.



Following the apex court’s order, the Establishment Division has already forwarded a summary for fresh office memorandum (OM) to the prime minister for approval, which will likely get the nod this week.

The court had struck down the OM of 2013 in its decision.

An official in the division privy to the development stated that the new memorandum is likely to be the amalgamation of OM of 2012 and recent orders of the court, which will contain the performance and Annual Confidential Reports of officers for CSB.

The OM of 2012 - which carried A, B and C categories - awarded 15 marks for conduct and integrity. According to the OM, the civil servants getting marks between 11 and 15 were to get A-category. Those who scored 6-10 marks got the B-category and those getting less than six marks were placed in the C-category.

In the CSB 2015, about 466 bureaucrats were considered for promotions from grade 20 to 21 and 698 from grade 19 to 20. Of these, about 479 officers were promoted in Pakistan Administrative Service, Secretariat Group, Police Service of Pakistan, including officers of other occupational groups and ex-cadre.



The board is likely to end the long-standing controversy about the CSB of 2015, but another officer stated, “Everything is fine until it is challenged.” He also stated that the board would be a test case for the government and the division.

The Supreme Court did not altogether de-notify the promotions of officers of CSB 2015, but it directed the Establishment Division to re-examine the promotions of all the officers in 2015.

The CSB — which comprises 18 officers including chief secretaries, IGs and two politicians — recommends promotions from Grade 19 to 20 and from Grade 20 to 21.

Interestingly, another high-powered board headed by the PM recommends promotions from Grade 21 to 22. That board is headed by the prime minister and sources confirmed that the meeting of that board is also likely to be held within the month of June.

All previous three CSBs — held under the current government in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — have been mired in controversy with allegations of promoting blue-eyed civil servants. Fingers were pointed towards secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad who was also promoted by the board of 2015.

The senior bureaucrats who will be considered by the board include; Fawad, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) A D Khawaja, Balochistan Chief Secretary Shoaib Mir Memon, Civil Service Academy Director General Maroof Afzal, Punjab Communication and Works Secretary Mohammad Mushtaq Ahmed, Establishment Division Additional Secretary Aamir Ashraf Khawaja, Azad Jammu and Kashmir IGP Bashir Ahmed Memon and other senior officers on administrative positions across the country.