Husna Jamil says FBR never accorded her the opportunity to defend herself. PHOTO: FILE
A female civil servant who lost her job after failing to clear the Final Passing Out Examination (FPOE) challenged her termination on Saturday, on the grounds that she was denied the opportunity to defend herself.
Husna Jamil filed a departmental appeal against her termination as assistant collector (probationer) of Pakistan Customs Service (BS-17). She argued that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) discharged her from service without serving her a show cause notice, as required by law.
“The law requires that I be issued a show cause notice, followed by the opportunity for a personal hearing, but this was not done,” Husna said in her appeal. “I have been treated illegally and unfairly by the department.”
She also argued that her termination order was not passed by the competent authority and was dealt with at a junior level.
Husna pointed out the case of a Foreign Service probationer, who she said was treated beneficially by the president and awarded 2.5% grace marks, and sought equal treatment. She added that four other officers were granted exemption from FPOE and demanded their records be examined as well.
“Although failure to pass FPOE renders a civil servant liable to removal from service… no officer has actually been removed from service on this ground alone to date,” Husna said in her appeal. “There is, in fact, a plethora of precedents of officers remaining in service despite failing FPOE … hence, the need to prevent miscarriage of justice due to utter discrimination in my case.”
It is the first time in the country’s history that a civil servant has been sacked for failing to clear FPOE.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2014.
COMMENTS (5)
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Just a food for thought, what about the armed forces quota? They do not give CSS or appear in any exam. Why they are not relieved from the services? Law should be equal for everyone, it should not be used to punish few and favour others.
Shows clearly that the selection and training processes of FPSC are outdated. To start with they should start selection exams similar to SAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL. The trainings should then be based on modern international standards. Maybe the concerned from Pakistan should go to Harvard or other Ivy leagues to learn and follow how they select candidates into the organization and then how they teach them the required skills.
I will go a step further and suggest that money spent on her while she was in CSS academy must also be recovered from her. There should be a promotion for moving to next grade as is the case in Army,
@H.A. Khan: Agreed, she should be removed if she has failed. But, why target her specifically now, when, as she claims, "no officer has actually been removed from service on this ground alone to date" "There is, in fact, a plethora of precedents of officers remaining in service despite failing FPOE " So, the buck has to stop somewhere. It will definitely open a Pandora box of nepotism and favoritism.
This lady has rightly been removed from service. She failed to pass. It is very unfortunate that persons like her pollute the civil service by litigating FBR is correct and right