Appointment of top bureaucrats: Powers to PM, CMs to be curtailed

LAHORE: The Task Force on Civil Services Reforms (TFCSR), constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan, is aiming at curtailing the powers of prime minister and chief ministers regarding appointments on prestigious slots of federal secretaries, chief secretaries and others.

It was disclosed by Adviser to Prime Minister for Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, who is also the chairman of TFCRS. He held meetings with officers of various departments and services at the Committee Room of the Civil Secretariat to consult on de-politicisation of civil services and to get their suggestions regarding the proposed reforms in the civil bureaucracy.

Talking to The News, Dr Ishrat was of the view that in order to depoliticise the civil services, the discretionary powers of the chief executives of the federal and provincial governments would be curtailed. “We will develop a system to select a panel of officers for a post after evaluating their performance. The prime minister and chief ministers will have to select an officer from the given panel instead of appointing an officer of own choice. We will develop such a strong system that chief executives of the federal and provincial governments will have to follow the system,” he maintained.

When asked that he had done the same exercise during the Musharraf regime and whether the present meeting with the officers of various services is a follow-up to his previous exercise for introducing a four-tier structure of civil services, Dr Ishrat replied the agenda of his recent meetings with the officers was to consult with them and get their suggestions to depoliticise the civil services.

He said during the last decade, the situation had changed after 18th Amendment granting provincial autonomy and they would implement reforms in accordance with the transformation in the system of government.

“We are consulting the officers and representatives of various services for reforms in the civil services regarding induction, recruitment, training, performance management, compensation, career progression, security of tenure and de-politicisation of the civil services.” .

Dr Ishrat said during the meeting, the officers had expressed their fear about undue interference by NAB, FIA and courts. “They want due respect and that they should not be harassed or insulted. They said the media should refrain from character assassination of the officers without solid evidence,” he added.

Responding to a query about a clear divide within bureaucracy with their sympathies either towards the PPP or PML-N who favoured their blue-eyed in their respective tenures, he said the PTI government had given a task to bring reforms in the bureaucracy to purge the civil service of political influence. To another question that the bureaucracy still has reservations about the PTI government, Dr Ishrat said the prime minister, during his maiden interaction with the bureaucracy, had assured them that there would be no political interference.

When asked about some bureaucratic circles having a view that the present exercise of consultation is just an eye-wash and the taskforce had already completed the work on reforms in civil services, he replied that no blue print had been prepared in that regard so far and added that reforms would be beneficial to the bureaucracy.

To a query that some bureaucratic circles have serious reservations about the reforms agenda as they are of the view that it would damage their service, Dr Ishrat said he had asked them about their apprehensions and fears. The officers were of the view that they joined the civil service as career so that they could get promotion to the BPS-22, but they were asked to give Public Service Commission exam to get promotion through proposed reforms.

“I told the officers, you pass an examination at the age of 24 and want to get all the top positions. It does not happen anywhere in the world. You will have to pass the examination of Public Service Commission for promotion. The officers will be assessed on the basis of performance and those not performing up to the mark will not get promotion,” he explained.