Departmental conundrum: Junior officers on senior footings at ACE

Dearth of officers to be the reason for the ad hoc arrangement, says anti-corruption chief secretary

LAHORE:

While the Punjab Anti-corruption Establishment (ACE), citing its exceptional performance, has been eager to match the perks and powers of the National Accountancy Bureau (NAB), a new hornet’s nest appears to have been stirred within the department’s own operations.

Reports reveal over 52 junior officers of the provincial graft-buster agency, including regional directors, to have been posted on senior level posts, with little justification or reason. These officers also include employees of the Pakistan Administrative Service, Provincial Management Service and the Punjab Police.

Shining light on the matter, sources associated with the Punjab Anti-corruption Establishment revealed that Safiullah Khan of Grade 18 Provincial Management Service has been appointed as Director Grade 19 R&D at the ACE Headquarters. Similarly, Wasim Hamid Sindhu, a Grade 18 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, has been appointed to the post of Grade 19 Director in the Lahore region, Ahmar Kefi of Grade 18 has been appointed as the Director of Grade 19 in Gujranwala, Farhan Farooq of Grade 18 of Pakistan Administrative Service has been posted as Director of Grade 19 in Faisalabad, Naeemullah Bhatti of Grade 18 of PMS has been posted as Director of Grade 19 in Rawalpindi and Muhammad Khalid Masood of Grade 18 of PMS has been posted as Director of Grade 19 in Sargodha.

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In Multan, Haider Abbas of Grade 18 of the Provincial Management Service has been appointed as the director of Grade 19, whereas Babar Rehman Warraich of PMS Grade 18 has been posted as Director Grade 19 in Sahiwal.

The Anti-Corruption Department has a total of 52 Junior Officers, many among whom have been put on posts of Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors.

When Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Iram Bukhari was contacted in this regard, he said that there is a crisis of officers in Punjab due to which some officers have been posted on upgraded positions. However, after promotions next month, officers will be officially and rightfully assuming the upgraded posts.

Per Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment Director General Gohar Nafees however, the said officers are being put to work, in ways best fit for the department’s operations under current circumstances. “It doesn’t matter if they are above or below the grade. We have to prove by our performance, which is reflected in the anti-corruption department’s operations in the province,” he said, while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2021.