ISLAMABAD, Sept 18 The government finally bowed to the Supreme Court's directive about Sindh Chief Secretary Kamran Lashari on Saturday, telling him to report back to the federal government.

The Establishment Division issued a notification in this regard in compliance with a ruling of the apex court ordering the federal government to take action against the former chairman of Capital Development Authority for the role he played in awarding of space to an international food chain in Islamabads F-9 Park.

Mr Lashari was serving as CDA chairman before the federal government appointed him as Sindh chief secretary on Sept 7.

In another development, the Establishment Division has cancelled a notification issued on Sept 4, 2009, that promoted 54 government officials from BS-21 to 22. .

A handout issued by the registrar of the SC said “The registrar of the SC has received a letter on Saturday from the Establishment Division that officers promoted on Sept 4, 2009, from

BS-21 to BS-22 is rescinded ab initio and declared to be of no legal effect as per the judgment of the apex court.”

The prime minister had promoted 54 bureaucrats to grade 22 on Sept 4 last year, but the move was opposed by a group of officers who were left out.

They approached the Supreme Court for redress. The court cancelled the promotions on April 27 this year.

However, the government later changed the rules for promotion and on Sept 10 a board, headed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, promoted 39 of the 54 federal secretaries to BS-22.

According to a senior bureaucrat, the latest notification may affect the perks and privileges that are still being enjoyed by the 15 officials who were not re-promoted on Sept 10, 2010. In fact, all 54 bureaucrats continued to enjoy the perks even after the SC order of April 27.

However, with the latest orders of the apex court, 15 civil servants will now be deprived of the benefits that are the prerogative of BS-22. The 15 include Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Nargis Sethi, Kamran Lashari, Information Secretary Mansur Suhail, Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue Sohail Ahmed, Chairman of Capital Development Authority Imtiaz Inayat Elahi and Punjab police chief Tariq Saleem Dogar.

The bureaucrat added that all those who would be affected by the notification would also lose the plots allotted to them in Islamabads sector D-12 last year.

“The Establishment Division is now supposed to issue a notification directing the Capital Development Authority for cancellation of plots of the in-charge federal secretaries who are now affected with apex court's decision” he said.

NRO BENEFICIARIES Mr Gilani has asked the Establishment Division to provide him a list of all those NRO beneficiaries who are presently holding positions in government. He The prime minister has also ordered that the information be given to him within two days, according to an official handout.

The handout was silent over the purpose behind this move, but it is believed that the prime minister has initiated the action after facing embarrassment when he had to withdraw the notification of the appointment of Adnan Khwaja as head of the Oil and Gas Development Company.