ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The job quota issue took a serious turn on Wednesday when a special Senate committee warned that if the rules for promotion of the federal bureaucrats were not amended immediately, the very existence of the federation would be threatened.

The committee, which met here at the Parliament House, observed that the provincial quota was not followed in the promotion of Grade 20-21 officers of the federal bureaucracy. This had deepened the sense of deprivation among the smaller provinces as more than half of the promoted officers belonged to what a number of members referred to as the “Big Brother” — euphemism for Punjab.

It warned that talented and promising officers from the under-developed areas of Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP had been left out during promotions for years and now a situation had emerged where the “smaller” provinces had virtually no role left in the affairs of the federal bureaucracy.

The problem was not restricted to Balochistan, but deprivation of officers from neglected and underdeveloped areas of Sindh was also at its peak, some members said. “This is posing a serious threat to the federation,” said MMA Senator from Balochistan Ismael Buledi. His point of view was endorsed not only by senators from the smaller provinces but also from Punjab.

The committee also decided to hold technical discussions with the Establishment Division and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on how to amend the promotion rules of the Civil Services Act in order to enable smaller provinces like Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP -- where poverty is more rampant and education system in shambles -- to equitably benefit from the promotions made in the federal bureaucracy.

In its last meeting, the cabinet had promoted 70 officers to BS-21, 49 of whom belonged to Punjab only and 10 to Sindh, eight to the NWFP, two to Balochistan and one to Fata.