ISLAMABAD: As many as six officers from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) have written letters to the secretary of National Health Services (NHS), seeking his attention over inequality and discrimination in promotions of civil servants working in the authority.

Officers and deputy directors Dr Hafsa Karam Elahi, Mohammad Arif Chaudhry, Adnan Faisal Saim, Ahmaddin Ansari, Abdul Sattar Sohrani and Mohammad Akhtar Abbas Khan wrote separate letters, stating they have learnt about an inquiry committee constituted to investigate illegalities in promotions of Drap officers.

They requested that they should also be given personal hearings to apprise the factual as well as legal violations before the committee about illegal promotions.

“The authority framed regulations wherein two sets of employees were generated as Drap employees and civil servants. However, the authority management has started discrimination with the civil servants in terms of posting and promotions.

“The service structure of civil servants was protected under the Drap Act. The same was endorsed by the Establishment Division through a number of letters sent to the ministry in response to its queries.

“However, junior officers have been promoted to higher posts despite the fact that they do not fulfil the requirement of length of service, customised courses and sanctioned posts,” one of the letters stated.

A senior official from Ministry of National Health Services said the applications will be considered and appropriate action will be taken.

“There is a clear policy of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza that there will be no discrimination. However, sending application to the ministry does not mean that the allegations leveled by the officers are correct,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2020