Federal govt introduces institutional reforms for civil services, announces Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: Federal government has introduced institutional reforms in the civil services, bringing a new policy of promotion and rotation for government employees, ARY NEWS reported quoting Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.

The renewed promotion and rotation policy for government employees under which officials facing a reference from NAB and FIA would not be promoted has come into force across the country from January 01.

The federal education minister while addressing a presser said that he was heading a committee formed by the prime minister on institutional reforms.

“Yesterday, the policy was discussed by the federal cabinet in detail before its introduction,” he said adding that the prime minister was committed to improving the governance system in the country.

Sharing the details of the policy devised by the institutional reforms committee headed by him, Shafqat Mahmood said that the core part of it was civil reforms and they have brought down the strength of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS), besides also changing the policy of commissioned officials’ transfer to the provinces.

“No government employee or official will be promoted in case of a NAB or FIA reference against him, however, the promotion will be considered in case the reference remained pending for three years,” he said.

The minister said that the promotion would not be allowed over three bad annual confidential reports (ACRs) and such officials could also be retired from the service.

“Any official who entered a plea bargain or any settlement in a corruption reference will be removed from the service,” he said while sharing the key aspect of the institutional reforms policy.

For the first time, plea bargain and voluntary return have been included in the definition of misconduct and the civil servants involved in them shall now be proceeded against.

One of the main features of the rules is that in case of inquiry, the case will be heard by the ‘authority, ‘inquiry officer’ or a ‘committee’ instead of any ‘authorised officer’ who was assigned to decide the issue.

Shafqat Mahmood said that they have made changes to the efficiency and discipline (E&D) rules and now the inquiry committee had to decide the case in 60 days and in case of any ‘authority’ who is responsible for deciding the case shall now decide the matter within 30 days.

“Inquiry against officials working in the provinces could be carried out by the establishment division,” he said.

He further shared that the deputation of an official to a province would be time-barred and no one could exceed the time limit and the provincial official would also have to serve in the Centre.

Shafqat Mahmood said that the entire government works due to its officials and any absence of a proper policy for them would lead to disorder in the entire service structure. “Prime minister is personally taking interest in the reform of the civil services,” he said.