Affirmative action: Premier posts 100 Baloch officials to Islamabad

Dr Saadia Sarwar posted as focal person in PM’s Polio Monitoring Cell.

ISLAMABAD:

Filling a void in the federal representation of government officials from Balochistan, Interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Monday approved the deputation of 100 officers from Balochistan in various federal ministries, divisions and attached departments.

This decision was taken by the prime minister to meet the shortfall in the representation of the province in the federal services.

Following up on the decision of the outgoing interim premier, the Establishment Division has finalised a list of 100 suitable officers of BPS 17 and above, for their posting in the federal government for a period of three years.

The prime minister had earlier chaired a meeting on April 23 to ascertain the existing representation of officers belonging to Balochistan in the federal service.



Legal implications

Talking to The Express Tribune about the legal ramifications of the interim premier’s decision, official sources said that “the premier’s decision does not disobey the Supreme Court’s earlier directives which had ordered the interim government not to reshuffle the federal bureaucracy or take major decisions outside their mandate, because the move will only fill recurrent vacancies from the existing 6% quota of Balochistan in the federal government.”

The source added that Balochistan had been allocated 6% seats in the central superior services (CSS) under the revised quota announced by the government in January 2007.

In the meeting held on April 23, officials concerned had informed the prime minister that most of the seats out of 6 % quota dedicated for Balochistan were unfilled for many years, he added.

The authorities then sought the premier’s permission to post officials from Balochistan on deputation on vacant positions without impacting the spirit of constitution. Officials said there will be no need to verify the information of these 100 officers, which is mandatory for the posting in the federal capital.

Deputy Secretary Coordination Establishment Division Munir Jan said that the decision has been taken under the Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan package and that no new recruitment, promotion or upgrade is involved.

New Focal Person for Polio Cell

Meanwhile, restoring the Prime Minister’s Monitoring Cell on Polio, interim premier Khoso appointed Dr Saadia Sarwar as focal person for the Cell. Dr Saadia is presently working at the Prime Minister’s secretariat as deputy secretary in BPS 19.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.