I have seventeen years' experience as a government officer. During this period, I have realized that there is almost no internal protection for the subordinate officers and staff in case their senior officer(s) intend to harm or harass them. The presence of service tribunals and courts is the only avenue available to the victimized officers. If a competent authority or a senior officer develops a personal grudge against a junior officer, he can harm him by awarding him an average grading in his/her ACR that consequently affects the officer’s career in future restricting him/her from due promotion. Extending ‘show cause’ notices for issues minuscule in nature is another tactic an annoyed officer uses against his junior officer putting the latter in distress. Initiation of disciplinary enquiries and compelling the appointed inquiry officer to report against the junior officer is one of the most common pressure tactics in the bureaucratic world.
The decision of the Supreme Court in the Anita Turab case should be taken as a guiding principle by the government to objectively reform civil services and offer internal protection to public officers against the wrath of antagonized senior officers who might be misusing their authority against their hardworking and sincere subordinates.
Zaheer Sahito
Shikarpur
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