ISLAMABAD: Deserving or not, people in federal bureaucracy need only to be well-connected in the ruling set-up to get prize postings.

Outgoing prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf signed a summary on March 14 for foreign postings of 15 officials of information ministry, who will be looking after media sections in Pakistani missions.

Four officials who have served in Prime Minister’s Secretariat, President House and the office of former minister for information Qamar Zaman Kaira, have been posted in the UK, Germany and the US.

Some officials of the ministry are planning to challenge in court the selection procedure which they say is based on personal likes and dislikes and in violation of rules.

On top of the list is Masood Anwar who is currently working as staff officer to Salman Farooqi, secretary general of President Asif Ali Zardari. Mr Anwar has been posted as press counsellor in New York.

It has been said that his posting involves two violations. One, he has been recently promoted to BPS-20 but his new assignment is meant for a grade-19 officer. Secondly, he last served as a press counsellor in France and came back in April 29, 2010.

According to the ministry’s own rules, he could only be considered for a new foreign posting after April 29, 2013, after having served in the country for three years.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Sherry Rehman is reported to have strongly recommended Mr Anwar’s posting in the US to influence public and media discourse on Pakistan which, she said, “is an increasingly difficult and complex challenge”.

Dr Najeeb has got the post of press counsellor in Washington DC, another attractive location. He was working as a director in the office of former minister Kaira and is considered being close to him. He last served in Cairo and his mandatory qualifying period will end in October 2013.

Shafqat Abbas, who was working with Mr Kaira as personal staff officer, has been posted in Germany, the position many in the ministry aspire for. Although he fulfills the criterion for the posting, several officials senior to him have been ignored in the process of selection.

Shafqat Jalil, who has been posted as press minister in London, has worked as press secretary with the outgoing premier Raja Ashraf. He last served as press counsellor in New York and his mandatory period to serve in the country for three years was to end on March 13, 2013. Although he was about to complete the period, his interview was held on March 5 which, according to the rules, is a violation of the criterion.

Nasir Jamal and Sheraz Latif have been given postings in Brussels and Paris respectively. Both the officials have been promoted to BPS 20 but the posts are for BPS-19, a decision officials in BPS-19 are complaining against.

The selection board was headed by Mr Kaira and its members included the secretaries of information, establishment division and foreign affairs and the director general, external publicity wing, ministry of information.

Officials who are questioning the selection procedure say the secretaries of establishment division and foreign affairs were represented by their subordinates who were easily influenced by other members of the board.

Of the 15 selected officers, eight have been given foreign postings for the first time and seven are being sent abroad for second time. Officials ignored in the selection say a rotation policy should be adopted so that all deserving officials get the chance of foreign posting.

Talking to Dawn, a senior ministry official said that although well-connected officials did use their connections the director general provided critical input regarding the postings.