Assembly secretariat: Two years later, promotions of ‘junior’ officers cancelled

Promotion committee told to start selection process afresh.

LAHORE: The Punjab Services Tribunal has cancelled promotions of two officers as additional secretaries at the Punjab Assembly secretariat and directed the PA speaker to convene afresh a departmental promotion committee meeting to shortlist candidates for the jobs.

The tribunal’s judgment, issued to the media on Thursday, stated that the DPC’s decision to promote Rai Mumtaz Babar and Faizul Basit as additional secretaries was in violation of the Punjab Secretariat (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules of 1986 and the Assembly (Administration Division) Recruitment Order of 1997.

The PST observed that the petitioner Amer Habib was equally qualified and senior to both the two officers but was not considered for promotion because of his ‘age and overall work experience’. It observed that qualifications and experience of Basit and professional conduct of Babar were dubious. It noted that service record and qualifications of the two officers were concealed from the DPC.

The tribunal rejected the DPC’s explanation and observed that an equally qualified and a senior officer could not be deprived of his right to promotion merely on account of his age.

It said that under the secretariat rules a deputy secretary or a senior estate officer with five years service or 12 years’ service in BPS-17 and above was eligible for promotion to the office of additional secretary. It said the DPC had also not issued a formal order of supersession or deferment for the petitioner.

The DPC had also mentioned the petitioner’s unpaid leave from work for 918 days (around two and a half years) as one of the reasons his name was dropped in favour of the two junior officers, who were also working as deputy secretaries in BPS-18 before promotion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2012.