ISLAMABAD - The Establishment Division on Thursday issued a notification of promotion of 22 officers into grade 22 that were promoted by Special Selection Board.
Interestingly, this notification has been issued around 22 days after the board meeting conducted to promote these officers, officials said.
The federal capital, in the meanwhile, was abuzz with the news that many of these officers, who got promotion into the top grade in bureaucracy, had used their political and social connections to attain these slots. High-level contacts in the Prime Minister Secretariat played the most important role in selection of most of the officers who got into next grade (BPS-22). The move, many say, has not only raised many eye-brows but also cast doubts on the "policy of merit" of incumbent government headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Special Selection Board held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 27th of November approved these promotions.
The sources said that after passing 22 days the notification has been issued because the senior officials of Prime Minister Secretariat preferred to promote their blue-eyed officers.
The Board approved promotions of S.M. Tahir, Najeeb Khawar Awan, Abdul Khaliq (Secretariat Group); Farkhanda Waseem, Azmat Orkazai, Shahid Khan, Tariq Bajwa, Raja Hassan Abbas, Nadeem Hassan Asif, Syed Arshad Ali (Pakistan Administrative Service); Rafiq Hassan Butt, Saud Mirza, Qalb-e -Abbas Khan Baig, Akbar Khan Hoti (Police Service of Pakistan); Shahid Hussain Asad, Yasmeen Saud (Inland Revenue Service); Farah Ayub Tareen (Audit and Account Service); Murad Ali, Seema Naqvi, Aizaaz Chaudhry, Muhammad Sadiq (Foreign Service of Pakistan); and Ameer Muhammad Khan Marwat (Pakistan Customs Service).
A statement by Prime Minister House claimed that there was no super-session in any service and cadre and the Board considered the officers for promotion examining their entire service record. The statement said the whole exercise was carried out by the Board in a complete transparent manner and every aspect of service was given due consideration and weightage.
"The training reports at different tiers of service/career, performance evaluation reports, leadership qualities and varied experience/exposure were the basis before elevating the officers of BS-22," the statement said. All officers who have not been promoted have been deferred for six months or till next Board whichever is earlier.
The rationale in the deferment, which was approved and exercised by the Prime Minister, was discrepancy in the training record and Performance Evaluation Reports. The Prime Minister directed the Establishment Division that the special report for next six months of deferred officers may be obtained and placed before the Selection Board for reconsideration, the statement said.