ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the history of civil bureaucracy in Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has converted into deferment all supersession cases of BS-19 and BS-20 officers recently recommended by the Central Selection Board (CSB). The CSB had recommended supersession of dozens of officers in BS-19 and BS20 belonging to different groups and cadres but the prime minister preferred to defer their cases of promotion instead of blocking their promotion permanently. According to sources, the prime minister feels that the supersessions require solid grounds and concrete reasons, which could pass the test of the judicial scrutiny. It is said that this move would also reduce the volume of litigation from the deferred officers, who would have the hope for promotion in future. Otherwise, except for the case of Joint Secretary Establishment Division Mumtaz Ali Khan, all cases of promotions recommended by the Central Selection Board have been approved by the prime minister. Notifications of all those promoted are being issued. However, in the case of Police Service of Pakistan, the promotions as recommended by the CSB have been approved by the prime minister but the notifications of these elevations would be issued after the vacation of a court stay obtained recently by some aggrieved police officers. Generally, it is believed that the deliberations and recommendations of the last meeting of the Central Selection Board were far better as unlike in the past the board used its collective wisdom to promote only the best available instead of elevating all those meeting the minimum threshold. Early last year, the CSB was embarrassed and its credibility suffered when the prime minister had to return a large number of cases of BS-21 promotions recommended by the board. While returning these cases of controversial recommendation, the prime minister minced no words to convey to the board that it had failed to apply its mind and exercise its discretion in an objective manner in evaluating the officers on the attribute of “integrity/general reputation/ perception”. In its last year meeting, the CSB had superseded only a few officers. The same day when the CSB had met, the military commanders also considered the promotion of brigadiers and had resorted to massive supersessions to ensure that only the best in the lot were promoted as two-star generals. Last year, the prime minister had returned the cases of 18 Grade-20 officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) to the CSB for reconsideration. The PM had also referred back six cases of the Police Service of Pakistan and two cases of the Customs service. While returning these cases to the CSB, the prime minister had conveyed to the Establishment Division that he did not deem it prudent and justified to approve the CSB’s recommendations, as he believed that only officers with impeccable repute should be promoted in public interest. The premier had also noted that the CSB was required to be mindful that the attribute of integrity and reputation was inserted in the “Objective Assessment Form” in order for the CSB to evaluate officers not only on the basis of integrity as reported in the ACRs/PERs, but also to form a collective opinion as to general reputation and perception of the officers under consideration in a reasonable, fair and equitable manner; and then to award marks out of the maximum five. In his note, the prime minister had termed the work of the CSB as “a mechanical exercise” without application of mind.
