The fountain at CSA briefly displayed the name plaque (right), before it was removed.
The removal of a plaque at Civil Services Academy (CSA) Lahore has upset the trainee officers so much that they have voiced their disapproval at social media websites and passed a resolution demanding its restoration, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The CSA is the training institution for pre-service training of civil servants recruited by the Federal Public Service Commission through a competitive exam, knows as the CSS.
A total of 238 probation officers of the 41st Common are currently being trained at the CSA. Waseem Ahmed, a probationer of Pakistan Administrative Services, formerly known as the District Management Group, had conceived and executed a project to install a fountain at one of the lawns of the academy, said one of several officers who spoke to The Express Tribune. He said that Waseem was a member of Environment and Community Development Club, at the academy. All the probationers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they said they did not want to jeopardise their careers.
Another officer said that there was no fountain in the academy earlier and the idea had been to beautify the premises and use the fountain during various functions. “CSA Director General (DG) Farkhanda Wasim and Director Ahmad Kamal had approved the idea and allowed that the inauguration plaque would carry Waseem’s name.
The DG and the director were later transferred when the project was completed. The plaque carrying Waseem’s name which had earlier been approved, was installed without a formal inauguration of the fountain and stayed there for two weeks,” said the probationer. He said the new administrator of the academy had then ordered to remove the plate.
“This was very discourteous towards the club and Waseem,” said one of the trainee officers of Police Services Pakistan (PSP). “There is a café called 24 Café in the academy. A picture of a probationer from PSP of the 24th Common is placed there because he contributed to it. Many paintings donated by probation officers at the academy bear their names. The new in-charge Dr Muhammad Afzal ordering the plaque removed gives a message to the bureaucrats in the making to not take any initiative on such projects. Waseem paid for everything for installing the fountain. He even sacrificed his Sundays to complete it in time,” said the PSP officer.
Some 37 probation officer have passed a resolution stating that the name of the person who conceived and executed the project should be on the plaque and removal of the sign bearing his name was uncalled for, another probation officer stated.
“This has annoyed the probation officers. The news is out on social media as well. Many probation officers are tweeting and posting comments on Facebook about the incident. This is something unprecedented here at the CSA,” the probation officer said.
Dr Muhammad Afzal, who has the charge of the academy head, said, “The academy is a place where the civil servants learn about discipline and rules. They have to follow the rules.”
Dr Afzal said that those who worked on projects should get credit. He said that he had not ordered removal of the plaque. “I cannot share any more information. We have to seek permission from the Establishment Division before talking to media,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2014.
COMMENTS (35)
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good stunt to copy.
It's a very bad experience being part of this group,where people are more interested in all other things than training Every sort of moral corruption in most of the so called cream of nation . I dont expect any betterment of country from this lot where people come to lectures while they are drunk and cause trouble for others. I have serious reservations on the selection criteria,we are not selecting officers properly to run our country.
If mr. Waseem is so fond of beatification of community, he should work in the city not academy and resign from the service. Waseem was reprimanded even in the auditorium for asking irrational unarticulated questions to the army guy. It is self gratification and unbecoming of officer. moreover, the picture of psp officer is hung on the cafe 24 wall because he was martyred and the 24th common which built the cafe dedicated the wall to that officer. Even the atm machine was donated by a girl but she didn't put any plaque. The writer ali usman is friend of usman Tariq butt, usman IjazulHAq rathore and Tariq Nawaz.
Seriously, THIS is news?
Also, can you imagine the selflessness and hard work this Waseem Ahmad will put into his career as an elite bureaucrat? After all, it's hardly like him to seek personal glory and hog credit.
csa has this habit of making a mountain out of a molehill. if the project was part of environment club, then why should waseem's name appear on it. i think the writer lack objectivity, as i personally know many probationers who were against waseem because he was taking all the credit for this work done.
Fountain = flowing water = relaxation = chill . fountain =/= fighting on blogs =/= chill.
(certainly not a place for admin and probationers to waste their time... p.s: don't look at me.... labor day leave in the morning... I can afford to comment)
This is unbecoming of an officer! Vilifying your own academy in the print media. Something unheard of before this unfortunate day! Mr Waseem Ahmed should write a "vote of apology", and this should be displayed next to the Fawwara for all to see. I ask for Pakistan's army intervention in this matter. Respected Chief Justice of Pakistan should take immediate cognizance of this matter, and take a suo moto notice. Let there be blood! Thank you very much.
The reason we allowed Mr. Waseem was due to his personal efforts. because in CSA we do encourage the initiatives of young probabtionary officers. but all this mess is created by a street urchin and i was against that person so fervently, precisely owing to his febrile imagination... but now his days in CSA are numbered. I have asked current DG to rid CSA of this rubbish of man and consign him to the dustbin of secretariat where this goof will be in his element by running clerical errands. Hope to see good changes in CSA.
Removal of plate is a conspiracy against my efforts for the Restoration of Magistracy.
I think all this is the result of the fact that magistracy has been scrapped. I am convinced had the magistracy been active, none of this would have taken place. I have written many research papers on such issues and my findings have alluded that such issues arise simply because of lack of magistracy. I implore the PM to restore magistracy so that such acts may be nipped in the bud in future.
and when did this journalist even visited the academy to take such interviews? Mr. Waseem has long hands, even longer than law itself to go to such a level, Please make sure that our voice is included, "we all are against your name being engraved". My zoo opening option still remains intact.
Boss Boranus.. So right you are my lord. All praise to you
This whole fountain issue is a big drama and nothing but a popularity stunt by the probationer who just want his name to be acknowledged and sung in the academy just for nothing...
I am also the member of the aforementioned club. Although many members of this club had endorsed Mr. Waseem's decision of plaque. But when th issue of plaque became the bone of contention, many of us had decided openly in a meeting of the club that the decision should be reconsidered. While Mr. Waseem, feeling that many members were again becoming against him, put the plaque without any prior permission of the aithorities. Another important thing that the fountain was made with the contribution of all the members. Waseem might have cintributed more. But this does not mean that he should take such decions himself which are to be taken by the authorities. I am of the opinion that this issue should be solved by Current worthy DG herself.
Oh my God wat a petty issue is being discussed here...plus v r not 238 in number...express tribune plz correct ur info n ask the views of those too who oppose it
the director CTP is going to be suspended as he headed this environment & community club.and Mr Waseem is going to be detained for all the remaining weekends (STP included) for violating the spirit of camaraderie that COMMON training program seeks to inculcate in probationers...
This act of using name of Mr. Khalid javed is very very shameful and it is condemned. Khalid javed sb is a true professional and he cannot post such comments. Whosoever has misused his name, should refrain from this and mind the fact that by these cheap tactics, worthy faculty cannot be defamed.
No resolution demanding restoration of plaque was ever passed..those 37 officers signed in favour of Mr Waseem BEFORE its removal..
and its no big deal..there was a spelling error ;concieved..prolly that is being rectified
With your permission, sir. Allow me to say .. It's not the fountain but it's the name behind the fountain that matters.. Bureaucrats these days you give them inches and they ask for feet.. Hmm
Establishment Division has appointed a new DG civil service Academy to solve this issue. Since I am not a CSP, someone please confirm this news.
Establishment Division has appointed
Once Gandhi said, "Hate the sin but love the sinner." We should condemn this act of injustice but not reprimand director of the Academy. Let's say he interpreted rules differently and that's the beauty of human diversity.
I too am a probationer at the same place and this whole thing is nothing but a popularity stunt. The writer has been too vague and biased because next to none number of people will be in favor of engraving Mr. Waseem's name while the rest of us are pretty much happy for it to be endorsed with either the whole batch's name or the club's itself. If such a thing is encouraged I'd like to put a zoo in CSA with my name on it.
The fountain should be named after the common if all have contributed to it. If it was a result of Mr Waseem's single handed efforts, he deserves the credit. Normally each common adds to CSA in some way which thereafter carries the common's name. And by the way i was surprised to know that 41st common is sharing CSA news on social media. Do u ppl want to become laughing stock of the country??
I believe Waseem has let Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and CSA down by this selfish act. The DG CSA should take notice of this!
The problem is the lack of discipline. Please maintain decorum. Thankyou very much!!
Once Gandhi said, "Hate the sin and love the sinner." I condemn this act of injustice but the director should not be fired. Even though he's junior to me at the Academy but I find him a gem of a person. Love, Kamran Ahmed ag in charge 2
Pardon me my countrymen for being part of this inefficient immature egotistical group who care about their name and their fame more than the problems and suffering of a common man.. Allah has blessed them by making them officers. May Allah give them some sense too to realize their responsibilities and that the role they have to play for the betterment of this country...