No meeting of high-powered selection board in 16 months

ISLAMABAD: The High-Powered Selection Board meeting has not been held for the last 16 months and the federal bureaucracy at the top level has become a victim of ad hocism as seen from 20 posts of federal secretary level of Grade 22 lying vacant.

According to sources, Pakistan Administrative Service, Secretariat Group, Police Service, Foreign Service, Pakistan Audit and Accounts, Inland Revenue Service, Pakistan Customs Service, Information Group and Economist Group Grade 22 posts are lying vacant while Grade 21 officers have been appointed on these posts instead of Grade 22.

According to the promotion policy, the meeting of the High-Powered Board should be held twice a year but the last meeting of the board was held in April 2023.

Officials of the Establishment Division are of the view that the homework for the board is complete, the working paper is ready and it is expected that the meeting of the board will be held this week. According to sources, Secretary Aviation Division Ahsan Ali Mangi is a Grade 21 officer. The post of Secretary Climate Change is vacant. The post of Communication Secretary is vacant. Its charge has been assigned to Special Secretary Communications Ali Sher Mehsud. Secretary Ministry of Education Mohiuddin Wani is a Grade 21 officer. Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ambreen Jan is a Grade 21 officer. The post of Secretary Information Technology is vacant. The charge has been assigned to Special Secretary IT Division Azfar Manzoor. Secretary Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Wasim Afzal Chaudhry is a Grade 21 officer. The charge of Secretary Law and Justice has been given to Senior Consultant Raja Naeem Akbar. The post of Secretary National Food Security is vacant. The post of Anti-Narcotics secretary is vacant. This charge has been given Interior Secretary Khurram Agha. The post of Secretary Privatization Division is vacant. This charge is with Jawad Pal. Secretary Railways is Grade 21 officer Syed Mazhar Ali Shah. The charge of Secretary Revenue Division has been given to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood. Secretary Science and Technology Ali Tahir and Secretary Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) Jameel Ahmed Qureshi are Grade 21officers. The delay in convening the High-Powered Board meeting has led to frustration and anxiety in senior bureaucracy.