Demotion of grade-22 officers: Supreme Court decision blocks promotions to grade-21

Demotion of 54 grade-22 senior officers in line with the decision of Supreme Court on April 27, blocked the promotion of all others whose cases were pending before the central selection board for decision, sources said. They said that establishment division postponed the meeting of central selection board (CSB) this year.
Under the rules of business, it is mandatory for the government to call CSB twice in a year. Chairman federal public service commission chairs the Board meeting. Candidates who were long waiting for promotion to grade-21 were informed that it was not possible to elevate them to the next grade, as the government has no vacant seat in that grade after demotion of 54 officers.
It is learnt that the Establishment Division has withdrawn the new promotion rules because they were in conflict with the latest Supreme Court demotion judgement. After the apex court decision, the recently promoted 54 government officers including, Nargis Sethi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister stand demoted to grade 21. The officers were promoted from BPS-21 to BPS-22 on September 4, 2009 by Prime Minister Gilani who had used discretionary powers and had ordered the reshuffling of 54 officials superseding 173 officers awaiting promotion but after the Supreme Court's decision they have been demoted to BPS-21.
The Establishment Division is considering the promotion rules of BPS-21 officers afresh in line with the apex court judgement and to ensure that the BPS-21 officers would be required to serve for at least two years in this grade and earn at least two very good performance evaluation reports to become eligible for the promotion. The Establishment Division had also been asked by the Supreme Court to re-enact the promotion rules for the BS-22 as they were rescinded by the then government in 1998.