Ministerial role sought in secretaries’ appointments

ISLAMABAD: A proposal seeking ministers’ role in transfer or removal of federal secretaries has been submitted to the Cabinet Division by a ministerial committee.

The committee was tasked with firming up a civil service reform recommendation for security of tenure for secretaries of ministries and divisions.

Sources said the ministerial sub-committee, headed by PM’s Adviser on Establishment M Shehzad Arbab, had made certain changes to the reform proposal that was presented before the cabinet in November last year by PM’s Adviser on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Husain. Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Pervez Khattak were the ministerial committee members besides others.

Sources said following the ministers’ demand, the reform proposal had been amended to allow them to seek premature transfer/removal of their respective secretary within six months of appointment.

After the six months period, the federal secretary’s tenure will be protected unless the government wants to remove him for sound reasons to be recorded on file.

The proposal, pertaining to the procedure for federal secretaries’ appointment and security of their tenure, was referred to the ministerial committee in mid last November by the cabinet following some opposition voices within the cabinet against this proposal.

Some of the ministers argued that they were answerable to the cabinet, the prime minister and people for their ministry’s performance but had no role in the appointment of secretary of their respective ministry.

Originally, Dr Ishrat Husain-led task force had recommended constitution of a committee of three top bureaucratic aides to the prime minister — Secretary Cabinet, Secretary Establishment and Principal Secretary — to recommend to him a panel of three most suitable officers for appointment of every federal secretary.

The premier, according to the proposal, could appoint any of the three officers recommended for a particular post of federal secretary by the committee. However, in case the prime minister does not find any officer included in the panel fit for the post, the committee would recommend a new panel.

The reform proposal does not authorise the PM to appoint on his own any officer as secretary of any ministry or division as is the case now.

Once the prime minister appoints the secretary of a division, it was proposed by Ishrat Husain-led task force, the officer will be considered on probation for six months and during this period the secretary could be removed or changed.

However, after the completion of six months’ probation period, the secretary will have the protection of compete three years tenure.

Once the officer has been selected through this process, he/she should not be transferred until completion of tenure i.e. three years, according to the original reform proposal. However, in cases where a disciplinary action is initiated against the officer for corruption, negligence of duty, insubordination, misconduct or failure to meet the performance targets assigned to him/her, etc, and evidence has been established, the prime minister can decide that the officer should be moved out of the office before completing the posting tenure. While making such transfers, reasons must be written on the file.

The ministerial committee has made two changes to the proposal recommended by Ishrat Husain. Firstly, there will be no mention of any probation period for appointment of federal secretaries. Secondly, a minister will be given the chance to seek the change of his secretary within six months of the latter’s appointment. In such case, the minister’s request will be referred to the three-member committee which will consider the request and recommend to prime minister a new panel for appointment of a new secretary.

Some in the bureaucracy fear that involving ministers in the posting and transfer of a secretary of their respective ministry or division might make the secretary more insecure instead of protecting his tenure.