Dr Parvez Kamal was recently appointed as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health services DG; he had previously been serving as the health services DG for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and was 17th on the seniority list.
Officials privy to the matter claim not only Governor Mehtab Abbasi was bypassed in the decision to transfer Kamal from Fata to the province but so were 16 other senior officials of management cadre.
“The rules clearly state only the top 10 officers on the seniority list should be considered and Kamal is not on that list; in fact, he is on the 17th position,” said the insider requesting anonymity since he was not authorised to talk to the media.
The summary of the appointment, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, states that under the Health (Management) Service Rules 2008, the post for the health services DG is filled on the basis of merit from among the 10 senior-most members of the service.
However, this rule is then violated in the same summary when its adds, “Though in the seniority list of the management cadre (BS-20), the doctor [Dr Parvez Kamal] is at serial number 17, he is the most suitable officer for the post of DG health services.”
The summary also states it is the policy of the provincial government to obtain the governor’s approval of posting/transfers from settled areas to Fata and vice-versa. However, the insider claims this rule was also violated and the governor was not taken on board in the decision to appoint Kamal. Sources within the Governor House also claimed that Mehtab was not consulted.
Moreover, health services rules state at least three names should be suggested for the DG’s post. However, in this case only Kamal’s name was put forward, added the insider.
The post had fallen vacant after Dr Abdul Waheed Shah Burki retired on November 16.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2014.
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