ISLAMABAD: The much-awaited meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB), which was scheduled for Monday after a gap of 17 months, was postponed once again, stalling the promotion of top bureaucrats.

The CSB, which decides the promotion of bureaucrats from Grades 19 to 21, has to meet twice a year as per law.

A notification issued by the Establishment Division said the meeting “to consider promotion cases of officers from BS-19 to BS-20 and from BS-20 to BS-21” scheduled for Nov 25 to 27 will now take place on Dec 23, 24, 26 and 27.

While the notification did not mention why the meeting had been rescheduled, sources said it was due to the law and order situation created after PTI’s march towards Islamabad.

Scores of federal secretaries, some parliamentarians, and police chiefs of all four provinces are CSB members.

A notification about the meeting issued by the Establishment Division last month stated that the board would consider the promotions of officials in different ministries, ISI as well as Intelligence Bureau.

All relevant federal secretaries, the FBR chairman, chief secretaries and inspectors general of police were asked to attend the meeting. However, sources said, due to the prevailing law and order situation, the police chiefs were unable to participate in the meeting.

The notification stated that the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) chairman retired Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz Satti, would chair the meeting. Mr Satti’s appointment, which was confirmed only last month, was the reason why the CSB couldn’t meet for more than a year.

Under the Civil Servants Act, only a regular FPSC chairman can head the board’s meeting. The post was vacant since the resignation of Shahid Ashraf Tarar in August 2023. A number of bureaucrats, who were eligible for promotion to grades 20 and 21 retired as they reached the age of superannuation while waiting for the CSB meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2024