LAHORE - Once considered as one of the most influential officers in the Punjab government especially at the Directorate General of Public Relations, during the rule of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Abdul Majeed Shahid nose dived on Wednesday when the provincial government terminated his current charge appointment as Additional Director General Public Relations (Coordination) in BS-20 besides abolishing the post created only to adjust him. According to details, divulged by a source, the Services and General Administration Department has also sought an explanation from the Information, Culture and Youth Affairs Department regarding his appointment on current charge basis as the ADGPR prior to the creation of the post. Abdul Majeed Shahid joined the DGPR of the Punjab government on November 1, 1987 as Assistant Director (Design, Display and Circulation) in BS-17 in Ex-Cadre service and was promoted on regular basis as Deputy Director (Advt) in BS-18 on April 3, 1993, and worked in the same capacity till October 2005, which is considered to be one of the most 'lucrative' posts of the Punjab government. "In that cadre, Deputy Director (Advt) was the last promotion. The top posts, like Director Public Relations, Additional DGPR and DGPR, are of the General Cadre service," said the source, adding that in order to actualise his dream of becoming Director, he submitted an application to the Principal Secretary to CM for promotion. "During the previous regime and due to the active support of a supposed-to-be-a-big-son of the province, one post of Director Public Relations (BS-19) was gifted to him by changing the nomenclature of that post as Director (Coordination) as there was no further line of promotion for him, and secured promotion on September 5, 2006 to the dismay of the General Cadre service officers," averred the source. On June 25, 2007 after one year of promotion as Director, he managed to get the post of Additional Director General of Public Relations (Coordination) in BS-20 after the rules were amended to his benefit though it is mandatory for any officer to serve for minimum three years in BS-19. "The post created in fact was ADGPR, but the officers, placed in the feeding cadre, were Director (Administration) and Director (Coordination) who were not from the Public Relations Wing. To benefit Majeed further, senior most officer in the Public Relations Wing Atta Shams Baloch was posted at Multan as ADGPR South Punjab. Interestingly, Majeed was appointed on current charge basis as ADGPR (BS-20) prior to the creation of the post to which the S&GAD had sought reply from the concerned department," said the source, while adding that according to the Service Rules 1977 (amended), only DPR from the General Cadre is eligible to get promotion of ADGPR. For his regular promotion in BS-20, Abdul Majeed's case was in the pipeline for the Provincial Selection Board-I meeting scheduled on May 23 (tomorrow). Despite repeated representations to Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Majeed stayed his ground. However, Javed Mehmood took up this task. "It is being expected that the newly appointed DGPR Mohiuddin Wani will be probing the financial irregularities in the advertisement wing of the DGPR besides streamlining the service structure. Moreover, the government is also expected to order special audit of the same," said the source.