Delay in promotion frustrates bureaucrats

ISLAMABAD: The process of promotions in the bureaucracy has stopped as no meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB) and the high-powered selection board has taken place in the past more than one year.

The last meeting of the high-powered selection board was held in February 2023 and the last meeting of the CSB took place in August last year.

As a result, junior officers have been appointed to higher posts. Practically, the bureaucracy has been facing ad hocism and is pessimistic.

Sources in the Establishment Division have said more than 20 posts of Grade-22 secretary are vacant in the federal bureaucracy. The posts are in the Pakistan Administrative Service, Police Service, Secretariat Group, Foreign Service, Information Group, Inland Revenue Service, Pakistan Customs Service, Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service and Economist Group.

Promotion from Grade-21 to Grade-22 is approved by the CSB, headed by the prime minister himself.

According to the promotion policy, two board meetings should be held in a year. Though one-and-a-half years have passed, no meeting has been called so far. As a result, 15 posts of Grade-22 of federal secretary are being filled by Grade-21 officers.

The post of IGP is of Grade-22, but Grade-21 officers are posted. Likewise, Grade-20 posts in the Foreign Service, FBR and Auditor General’s Office are also vacant. Waiting promotions, many Grade-21 officers have retired because there was no meeting of the board.

Government sources said the meeting of the high-powered board was not being convened due to the rightsizing process, as elimination of some posts of Grade-22 has been proposed.

The CSB meeting has not been convened for the last 14 months due to which the process of promotions from Grade-19 to Grade-20 and from Grade-20 to 21 has been delayed. There are 700 vacancies in Grade-20 and 21 of Federal Service.

The last meeting of the CSB was held in August 2023. In the same month, then FPSC chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar resigned and became a minister in the caretaker cabinet.

This post remained vacant for a year. Since the FPSC chairman is ex officio chairman of the CSB, the board meeting could not be convened.

On September 5, Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz Sati was appointed chairman of the FPSC. He will take charge of his new post this week after retirement. He will preside over the CSB meeting.

The Establishment Division sources said homework has been started to convene a meeting of the CSB for the promotion of 19 and 20 grade officers. The names and details of the officers of ministries awaiting promotions have been sought till October 7. A presentation will be given to the FPSC chairman before convening the board’s meeting. The meeting of the board is expected in the last week of October or the first week of November.