ISLAMABAD: The speculations among the officials of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) regarding the appointment of its new chief, appears on the verge of being abolished as the administration proposed nominee for the slot, Daily Times has learnt reliably. Well informed sources both in the FDE and the Capital Administration & Development Division (CA&DD) said that the CA&DD inquired the list and details of the senior most directors in the FDE to review for finalising the name for the post of the Director General which is going to be vacant starting next month. In response the FDE administration shortlisted the name of Tanveer Ahmed, who is currently working in the FDE in BPS-19 and forwarded his file for the approval to the sitting DG, Shahnaz A Raiz. However, Raiz raised some objections over Ahmed’s nomination. According to the sources, the DG pointed out the seniority of Ahmed pointing out that he was junior than some other directors serving in the FDE. The incumbent DG, FDE Shahaz A Raiz, has also reached her age of superannuation on December 10, 2016. Earlier in August, the CA&DD also had issued her retirement notification. “On attaining the age of superannuation, Dr Shahnaz A Riaz, shall stand retired from government services with effect from December 10, 2016. Her date of birth is December 18, 1956”, reads the notification, a copy of which was obtained by this scribe. Currently there are three seniormost directors who are serving in the FDE against BPS-19. The list includes the names of Muhammad Taj Bhatti, Zulifqar,and Tanveer Ahmed. As per information available, Bhatti is the seniormost among these three names while Ahmed is at the bottom of the list. Ahmed had joined the FDE’s post and budget section in 2012 in result of devolution of the education ministry to provinces including 17 other federal ministries. He has been serving in the monitoring cell against a BPS-19 post. He had recently been absorbed permanently in the FDE. According to the civil servants appointments rules 1973, the selections for the slot of the DG was meant to be 100 per cent by promotion. It adds that either a Director in BPS-19 or a Principal of a Degree College in the same grade with 17 years’ teaching experience are eligible for the post of the DG for the entities overseeing the educational institutions. In the past, the post remained a musical chair as several DGs were appointed and removed without taking into account to the said rules. And the incumbent DG, Shahnaz Raiz, was the 12th head of the FDE. Shahnaz was reinstated thrice in March this year through Supreme Court orders. In 2007 she was first promoted for the first time from Director to DG, FDE. Previous from her current repatriation, she was posted to the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE) via a CA&DD order. The teaching communities in FDE’s institutions were of the view that the Principal of the Degree College deserved the turn for the post of the DG. Because, they said, the law provides him this right. “If this time the DG will be recruited from the principals, it would cause satisfaction among the teachers. By availing this right they will find that the equality for all concepts is under practice.” said a professor in F-7/4 college, on the condition of anonymity. Moreover, the nominated Ahmed does not fulfil the criteria for the slot. The sources added that he served in the monitoring cell as director while after his absorption in the FDE, his line of seniority was separated from the directors originally belonging to the directorate. On the other hand an official who was aware of the move but wished anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the press on record, said that Ahmed’s name was proposed due to the fact that he (Ahmed) holds a Service Management Course, which is declared mandatory now for the post of DG. He added that neither any senior director in the FDE and nor any principal of the Degree College holds such a course. When Daily Times tried to seek official confirmation of such a move, the DG, Shahnaz, could not be reached. However, a director wishing not to be named confirmed the proposed name of Ahmed for the slot of DG.