Poor performance: Hina sacks Additional Secretary, transfers Deputy Secretary

Minister of State for Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Hina Rabbani Khar has relieved the Additional Secretary of his duties and transferred a Deputy Secretary for allegedly failing to achieve targets. This, so claim her detractors, is premised on her passing the buck for the continued failure of the government to get pledges made in Friends of Democratic Pakistan forum translated into disbursements.
In defence of the Minister's peremptory decisions with respect to two of her staff, this correspondent was informed that promotions based on length of service, instead of merit, have been the hallmark in EAD. With the exception of 2 officials, who successfully passed the CSS examination, all other staff at EAD are promoted or inducted without due diligence.
At present, sources maintain, almost all the policy sections in EAD are headed by matriculate and intermediate section officers who have consistently failed to deliver quality work. However, the axe fell on Arif Azim, who is a qualified CSS officer. He is neither a promotee nor an inductee. Deputy Secretary in EAD, promoted out of turn without due consultation with the Establishment Division with the additional charge of Director, Aid effectiveness, was the cause of friction between Azim and Ms Khar.