Top bureaucrats still await promotions

Establishment Division was given 10 weeks by the Supreme Court to devise a new policy for appraisals

ISLAMABAD: Despite the passage of more than a month, the Establishment Division has failed to finalise minutes of the meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB) held in June to reconsider the promotion of more than 1,100 civil servants.

On April 13, the Supreme Court had given 10 weeks to the Establishment Division to devise a new policy for promotions. The Establishment Division had held the board on June 18 before the June 22 cut-off time.

While the court did not altogether de-notify the promotions of officers of CSB 2015, it directed the Establishment Division to re-examine the promotions of all the officers done in 2015.



The CSB held meetings from June 18 till June 23 over promotions of civil servants from Grade 19 to Grade 20 and from Grade 20 to Grade 21.

“Yes we were more conscious this time as we have to submit the final list to the Supreme Court and avoid litigation in the future over out effort,” said an official privy to the developments.

The court had set aside the promotions of over 300 bureaucrats, notified in May 2015, after dozens of civil servants had challenged the CSB over alleged favouritism.

The CSB met for the whole working week against 800 available seats for top-ranked positions. It reconsidered the cases of 1,164 civil servants in the 2015 board against the mentioned seats and has already taken about a month to finalise the minutes of the board meeting.

“We have almost finalised the minutes and forward them to the prime minister by Sunday or Monday,” Establishment Division’s Secretary Tahir Shahbaz told The Express Tribune.

The secretary attributed the delay to the Eid holidays and two days of weekend right after the board had convened.



After the minutes have been finalised, the Establishment Division would forward the names recommended by the board to the PM who is the final authority.

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

Besides, promotion of 433 officers was deferred and that of 41 others was superseded with strong note from the PM about recommendations of civil servants who were unworthy of the promotions and considered by the CSB.

All previous three CSBs — held under the current government in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — were 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.