Officers’ promotions case: IHC seeks details of board meeting

Court to determine if it can review decision on CSB recommendations taken by PM.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday sought minutes of the meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB) in connection with several petitions challenging promotions of junior officers from BPS-20 to BPS-21.

In his remarks, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui observed that the court will also see if it had the authority to review a decision approved by the prime minister.

The judge had earlier allowed to issue a notification of the promotions but linked it with the final order of the court. “The official respondent may issue notification of promotion of private respondents but the same shall be subject to final adjudication of the writ petition and its outcome,” he had ordered.

On Wednesday, the petitioners’ counsels presenting his arguments stated that CSB considers three things: length of service, service record and last six year’s Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) out of which three ACRs should be above average for the bureaucrats to be considered for promotions.

The board recommended the promotions on the same basis this year too yet some officials were not promoted, which was discrimination, said the counsels.

Additional Attorney General Afnan Karim Kundi said the court cannot review the decision, saying the prime minister makes the final decision about the promotions after CSB finalises names.

Justice Siddiqui was hearing the petition of former Islamabad IGP Aftab Ahmed Cheema, Deputy Commandant Frontier Constabulary Ghaniur Rehman Wazir, Director of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Asif Samad and others who have petitioned the court challenging promotion of junior officers to grade 21.

The petitioners have listed the establishment secretary, CSB chairman, chairman of Federal Public Service Commission and several police officials as respondents.

Cheema was suspended for not following government orders and refusing to use force against violent protesters during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek sit-ins held last year. Disciplinary proceedings are still pending against him.

The suspended IGP has challenged CSB’s recommendation for promoting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Additional IGP Tariq Javed to grade 21.

Wazir has challenged his supersession from promotion to BPS 21 as well as the legality of the Federal Government’s Promotion Policy.

Wazir’s counsel argued that the petitioner, who has an unblemished service record, and who personally led several successful operations against terrorists, has been ignored for promotion whereas junior police officials involved in the mega corruption case of arms purchases in an Accountability Court, some of whom even entered into a voluntary return with NAB, have been promoted.

Following the arguments, the court directed the government to produce meeting minutes and adjourned the case till June 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2015.