Posting delays leave FO officers in limbo

Up to 60 officers in line for foreign postings

ISLAMABAD:

Resentment is brewing among the Foreign Office officers who are waiting for postings abroad as the process is facing delays for multiple reasons.

Sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune on Tuesday that as past practice, usually the process of posting in foreign missions from grade 17 to 19 kick-starts in October every year with the circulation of vacant posts.

Interviews of potential candidates are conducted in November and usually postings are allocated in December. However, the relevant authorities in the Foreign Office have yet to approve the new postings.

This has led to resentment among the officers, who have been serving in the headquarters and their foreign postings are due.

A source said around 50 to 60 officers are currently waiting for their foreign postings.

One officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that usually by this time foreign postings were allotted but this time there was an unusual delay.

The postings are important for both career progression and monetary benefits. Foreign postings are lucrative since those can provide officers some relief as they are given special allowances and other perks and privileges.

When contacted, a senior Foreign Office official played down the issue, insisting that there were no rules specifying the time period to initiate the process of the postings. The official insisted that the process had already begun.

The official stressed that the process would be completed soon and added that few months of delay also stemmed from the fact that Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch took charge in September and in October the Foreign Office was busy in hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the first high-profile gathering of regional leaders in several years.

But other sources attributed the delay to certain officers, who first wanted their promotions before the decision. Officers, who are in grade 19 and their promotion is due later this month, want the process to remain on hold till their progress to the next grade.

The sources explained that if the postings are finalised before the promotion board, then the officers in grade 19 who are due for promotion, may not get the favorite posting.

For example, a grade 20 officer is eligible for the position of consular general and head of mission while a grade 19 officer can only be appointed as a consular.

When approached, the Foreign Office spokesperson did not give any comment on the issue until the filing of this report.