ISLAMABAD: A panel of top bureaucrats led by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan has opposed a proposal under the premier’s administrative reforms to allow induction of private sector specialists and technical experts in the powerful District Management Group, now called Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).
In a recent meeting, the former chief secretaries’ committee noted that “lateral entry” into PAS would create a ‘disconnect’ between experienced officers and the fresh private sector minds, said a statement.
It said the meeting of the committee was held with the former chief secretary KP Azam Khan in the chair and deliberated on the issue of induction of technocrats in the cadre of PAS.
It was recommended that no such lateral entry of other professionals or technical experts be made in the PAS cadre as it will disturb the structure, seniority and promotion prospects of officers, belonging to one unified cadre, who are inducted through a highly competitive merit-based system.
Besides, being a federal service having the title and nomenclature of All Pakistan Unified Grade, it provides a distinct job description of posts, therefore, it’s composition must not be disturbed.
The members appreciated the initiative of the prime minister to bring about much needed changes in the areas of service structure, career progression, capacity building and improving the standards of efficiency and professionalism of the civil servants.
The meeting discussed the recently announced Civil Service Reforms, in the overall context of improving the service delivery by the officers of PAS. The meeting took note of some provisions of the reforms.
On the issue of rationalising the cadre strength and number of posts of PAS in provinces, the meeting was of the view that it was a settled issue as the federal and provincial governments had worked out the formula of sharing the field posts in 1954 and there existed no impelling need to revisit it now.
Besides, reduction of posts (600) in the provinces is likely to cause dissatisfaction among the junior officers who would be denied their professional requirement of orientation of socioeconomic and other issues facing the people which are well identified during the field postings.
Thus some disconnect would occur between the practical experience of the officers in identification of issues existing on ground and their resolution through policy intervention, subsequently. The meeting urged the government to re-examine the issue in its entirety so as to avoid serious ramifications in the area of administrative management.
The meeting appreciated the views of the PM on the quality and calibre of the civil servants of the 1960s when phenomenal economic and physical infrastructure development took place through civil servants.
The participants said the bureaucracy in those times was provided conductive working environment and they delivered with confidence and without any let or hindrance.
However, with the passage of time and following the successive administrative reforms things are not the same. Among other things, the criterion of selecting the “right officer for the right job” is changed.
Nevertheless, the PAS officers are still delivering despite odds like unfavourable field conditions and interference by various pressure or interest groups.
Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2020