Seniority ignored as junior gets key FDE post

Islamabad: Senior Federal Directorate of Education officers feel miffed at the posting of a junior officer as the director (administration).

As part of the recent reshuffle at the FDE, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, which has the administrative control of the directorate, made BPS-18 Deputy Director (Monitoring) Abdul Waheed Khan the BPS-19 director (administration) ignoring the four BPS-19 directors, including Tanweer Ahmad, Rao Zulfiquar, Saqib Shahab and Javed Iqbal Mirza.

By holding the director’s office on the basis of ‘current charge’, the well-connected Abdul Waheed Khan will draw an additional allowance. The development coincides with the appointment of Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3 principal Dr Ali Ahmed Kharal (BPS-21) as the acting FDE director general for a period of three months or until the post is filled permanently.

The tasking of a junior officer with the key director (administration) post has annoyed senior officers at the directorate regulating government schools and colleges in Islamabad Capital Territory as they strongly consider that posting to be their right.

They said the administration director’s was a very important position at the FDE and was considered to be the next to the director general’s and therefore, its additional charge should have been given to a senior BPS-19 officer and not a BPS-18 officer. The officers said the violation of ‘seniority and merit’ principle had caused unrest among staff members

“On the basis of seniority, an officer is likely to be the first in line for responsibilities. The ministry should use the seniority rule as the basis for decision-making, especially postings, as it prevents unrest and bad feelings among senior officers,” an officer told ‘The News’.

Others at the FDE also expressed reservation about Abdul Waheed Khan’s posting and said not only was the BPS-18 officer junior but he was also not capable of handling the key assignment.

They said in the past, the administration director’s post used to go to the senior-most directors by and large. “Ignoring seniors for key postings and in the decision-making process is the root cause of discord and unrest at the FDE and other institutions working under it and thus, adversely affecting their efficiency,” an official said calling for the immediate reversal of Abdul Waheed Khan’s posting as the director (administration). There is no official word of the education ministry on the matter.