ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court summoned the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) on 21st February to apprise about the progress on posting/ transfers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers to Sindh.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, on Tuesday, heard the Sindh government’s application regarding posting/ transfer of the PAS and the PSP officers from Sindh.
Advocate General Salman Talibud Din informed that the Supreme Court in its order dated 25 October 2021 said that the frequent transfer and postings of those heading the Sindh institutions has led to mal-administration, bad governance, failure to implement policies and general lack of interest in enforcement of law, rules, regulations, bye-laws and schemes in the province.
The Court; therefore, ordered the attorney general to address this issue, and take up the matter with the concerned authorities in the federal government and ensure that suitable officers are posted against the said positions expeditiously.
The AGP assured that sufficient number of officers will be posted in Sindh government on receipt of details of vacant posts from the Sindh government. The Supreme Court directed the attorney general to ensure that the problem is resolved.
The advocate general explained that vide his letter dated 27 October 2021 addressed to the attorney general, he communicated the details of vacant posts in Sindh government with the request to provide PAS officers of BS-17 to BS-21 as per the share.
He said according to Rule 7(1) of the Civil Service of Pakistan (Composition and Cadre) Rules, 1954 the ratio of All-Pakistan service officer in Sindh is BS-17 is 25 percent, BS-18 40 percent, BS-19 50 percent, BS-20 60 percent, and BS-21 65 percent. “On the basis of the cadre strength the number of PAS officers in Sindh is BS-17 98 officers, BS-18 85 officers, BS-19 59 officers, BS-20 67 officers and BS-21 16 officers,” he added.
He submitted that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s on 23rd November, 2021 wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, wherein, he stated that the federal government has not posted even 50percent of the BS-17 to BS-21 share in Sindh in the last several years. “As we are discussing BS-20 officers, out of 67 seats, services of only 20 All Pakistan service officers are presently available to Sindh. Thus, there is massive shortfall of 47 PAS officer in Sindh. In case of PSP officers (BS-20), only 22 are posted against a total strength of 26, i.e., a shortfall of four PSO officers (BS-20),” said the letter.
He further wrote that the Sindh government has approached the federal government several times with the request to post required number of officers. In February 2021, the Sindh government wrote to the Establishment Division to provide the requisite number of officers against the posts reserved for them.
The letter mentioned that while response to our request is still awaited, the Establishment Division has issued notifications on 9th November 2021 withdrawing four PAS and seven PSP officers of BS-20 from Sindh, while four PAS and eight PSP officers to BS-20 have been posted to Sindh.
It said that recently five PSP officers of BS-20 were withdrawn from the Sindh province. Thus, the proposal of withdrawing more PSP officers would mean that half of the officers in BS-20 will be new to the province and would know nothing about the administrative challenges.
The prime minister was asked to consider the response of the Sindh government to the proposal of the federal government and direct the Establishment Division to issue necessary notifications.
The Establishment Division may be directed to fill the shortage in BS-17 to BS-21 by deputing the requisite number of the officers to Sindh.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022