Some indispensables: Punjab seeks to keep federal officers in ‘violation of rules’

The provincial govt was directed to repatriate the services of the officers in 2013.

LAHORE:

The provincial government has decided to retain the services of five Pakistan Postal Service (PPS) officers in violation of Civil Servants Rules 1973, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Deputy Secretaries to Chief Minister Muhammad Shahid Iqbal and Khawaja Imran Raza, Additional Secretaries Hassan Akhtar and Khalid Awais Ranjha, and Zubaida Khuman, a manager in TEVTA, are being retained by the government despite expiry of their deputation and extension periods, said a PPS official on condition of anonymity.

He said the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), with the chief minister’s approval, had already taken up the case this month to retain these officers despite repeated refusals from their parent ministry.

He said Section 20-A of Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973, stated, “appointment on deputation is made for a period not exceeding three years which may be extended for another two years by federal government in consultation with the lending organisation.”



Iqbal has been serving since October 2003, Raza since April 2008, Akhtar since August 2010, and Ranjha since December 2009.

In June 2013, the Establishment Division on the request of the Ministry of Communications (Postal Services Wing) had directed the provincial government to repatriate the services of six officers including Iqbal, Ranjha, Akhtar, Raza and Khuman.

The ED maintained that the officers were enjoying overstay in the Punjab and their parent ministry was facing acute shortage of officers to regulate official business.

“The ED has repeatedly regretted the requests of the provincial government regarding retention of services of the said officers since June, 2013 on deputation as it was not covered under the relevant rules,” the official said.

According to an official document, even the Punjab Services Secretary recommended to the CM that three officers including Raza, Iqbal and Awais should be relieved from the Punjab as their extension period had expired.

The secretary further recommended that further retention by the government could have serious repercussions on the officers’ careers.

The services of Akhtar and Khuman could be retained as their deputation period had not yet expired, the document said.

On these suggestions, the chief minister observed that the posted officers had been entrusted “very important assignments” and their performance was satisfactory and overstay indispensible. The CM also stated that “the Punjab was facing shortage of officers and keeping good governance in view, the officers be retained.”

The provincial government repatriated Awais Ranjha on December 31, 2013 but he was not relieved, an S&GAD official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune.

Punjab PMS Officers’ Association Information Secretary Ahmed Khawar Shahid told The Express Tribune that the posting of federal officers other than All Pakistan Unified Group (PAS, PSP and Secretariat) was a clear violation of the constitution and relevant rules.

“The influx of federal government officers in the Punjab means marginalisation of provincial services in their own province… resultantly a sense of frustration and despair prevails among them as they get stuck for promotion in next scales for a long time.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2014.