Daily Times

As per the rules of business, a Federal Division is headed by a federal secretary of BPS-22, which is the highest possible rank attainable by bureaucrats in Pakistan.

If no suitable grade 22 officer is available, a grade 21 officer can be appointed as Additional Secretary in charge to run a division, temporarily. However, there have to be exceptional circumstances, and that too just as an adhoc arrangement.

This provision used to be often exploited by previous regimes to install their favourite junior officers in key positions, without regard for merit or seniority. So why is it still happening in the era of an apparently pro- merit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government? The simple answer is that, perhaps, there are not enough grade 22 officers available in the various cadres.

What would have caused this shortage of senior officers? The straightforward answer is that the High Powered Selection Board (HPSB), whereby eligible grade 21 officers are promoted to BPS 22, has not been held regularly this year.

So far this year, which is in its last quarter, only one HSPB has been held; while normally three or even four are to be held every year. HPSBs are much more frequent than the Central Selection Board (CSB), because the posts available are very limited; as is the pool of candidates available. In fact, the procedure is also anything but complicated. A meeting chaired by the Prime Minister; with the presence of Secretary Establishment, Secretary Cabinet, and a few other concerned federal secretaries, is enough.

The service record required in respect of the candidate officers is also readily available in an updated form with the Establishment Division for any HSPB, other than the first one in a year (when the required service record has to be completed).

What would have caused this shortage of senior officers? The straightforward answer is that the HPSB, whereby eligible grade 21 officers are promoted to BPS 22, has not been held regularly this year

As a matter of fact, it would have made much sense for the new government to have held an HSPB, before the recent mega reshuffling at the top level. The reason being, that the pool of grade 22 officers required would have been considerably enhanced.

As per reliable estimates, around 20 posts of Grade 22 would be available — in various service cadres — if HSPB were to be held end of this month; including the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) and other civil services groups.

That would have, naturally, allowed the new government to post only the best officers as heads of divisions, rather than compromising on seniority and merit.

So why hasn’t it not been done? Some senior civil servants informed me that — as is the case in Pakistan in most instances — HSPBs are also held as per the wishes of the most well-connected bureaucrats. For instance, last year, when the now jailed Fawad Hasan Fawad was to be promoted to grade 22, two HSPBs were held within a period of three months ie October 2017, and December 2017. But once he got promoted, the next — and the only HSPB ever held subsequently — took six months to be convened.

But that was the case in ‘Purana Pakistan’. Will it be any different in the ‘Naya Pakistan’, or is it a case of more of the same?

The answer lies with the new prime minister, who had promised a break from the past.

The writer is a diplomatic correspondent, at Daily Times. He can be reached at hassankhan440@gmail.com and tweets @mhassankhan06

Published in Daily Times, September 26^th 2018.