[B][U][CENTER][COLOR="DarkGreen"][SIZE="5"][FONT="Georgia"]Revenue officials` career growth in limbo[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]By Mubarak Zeb Khan
date: 20/03/2012[/B]

ISLAMABAD, March 19: In what appears to be indifference towards a group collecting more tax than others, the government seems unwilling to allocate grade 22 posts for officials of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS).

Even small cadre groups like postal, audits and accounts, and customs have posts in BPS-22, but no such post has been allocated for the IRS, which collects 89 per cent of the tax revenue generated by federal agencies.

The FBR collects about 90 per cent of the federal government revenue. Of this, 89 per cent is being collected by the IRS group.

The IRS emerged as the biggest group following the World Bank-fun-ded reforms project that saw the merger of sales tax, federal excise duty and income tax units in the past five years. The IRS has a workforce of over 18,000 personnel.

There are 18 regional tax offices (RTOs), three large taxpayers units (LTUs) and 64 tax facilitation centres (TFCs) in the IRS field formation.

A senior tax official told Dawn that the FBR has submitted a request to the government to consider senior slots for the group in BPS-22 and a share in secretariat posts as well.

The official said no response had yet been received from the government on the matter. He said there was no share of the IRS in the secretariatposts especially in BPS-20 and above, dominated currently by the DMG officials.

Even groups with smaller cadre strengths like the Police Service of Pakistan, Audits and Accounts, DMG and Pakistan Postal Service not only have their own cadre posts in BPS-22 but also have a reasonable share in the secretariat group as well.

The official said the alleged discrimination practically limits the career progression of the officers of IRS group to a maximum of BPS-21.

Another senior officer of the group said in comparison to other services there appears to be a bias against the IRS group despite the crucial role itplays vis-Ã -vis the national economy.

A source in the Establishment Division said the FBR had demanded upgradation of seven BPS-21 posts to BPS-22.

A summary has already been submitted in this regard but the government says it may consider only four cadre posts in BPS-22 for the group.

The officer questioned the government`s approach that favours reforming the tax administration but seems unwilling to improve career structure of the IRS group. `This attitude has resulted in severe demoralisation, demotivation and job dissatisfaction across the service group,` the official said.

[IMG]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/adeesaha/20_03_2012_004_006_001.jpg[/IMG]

[url=http://epaper.dawn.com/~epaper/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=20_03_2012_004_006]Revenue officials` career growth in limbo | ePaper | DAWN.COM[/url]

Pasha likely to become FPSC member
 

ISLAMABAD - The government has decided to appoint Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha as member of the Federal Public Service Commission after retirement. According to a private TV channel, the Establishment Division has sent the summary of Pasha’s appointment, adding that the name of Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Muhammad was also present in the summary which was later removed.

[B][U][url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/03/18/news/national/pasha-likely-to-become-fpsc-member/]Pasha likely to become FPSC member | Pakistan Today | Latest news | Breaking news | Pakistan News | World news | Business | Sport and Multimedia[/url][/U][/B]

An outstanding civil servant
 

[B]By Sartaj Aziz [/B]

ZAFAR Iqbal, who passed away last week after a brief illness, was not only an outstanding civil servant but also belonged to a very different class of civil servants.

Through tradition and the force of circumstances, most civil servants learn very early to say ‘yes’ to all commands from above.
Some of them even learn to say ‘yes sir’ and not just ‘yes’. Zafar Iqbal was very different — bold and upright — always looking for opportunities to display his fighting spirit, if he detected any irregularity or digression at any level.

The most dramatic display of Zafar Iqbal’s defiance came in 1972, when he was outraged by the out-of-turn promotion of an officer junior to him as additional secretary.

He submitted an appeal to the establishment secretary and requested him that the issues raised about the criteria, under which the principle of seniority has been ignored, should be clarified and also brought to the notice of the president.

The establishment secretary felt that the representation of Mr Zafar Iqbal was arrogant and provocative and therefore amounted to misconduct. He recommended that the displeasure of the government should be conveyed to the officer.

The president recorded the following order on the file: “I agree with all the reasons given by Establishment Secretary but the action suggested is not sufficient. First suspend this man and charge sheet him for dismissal. I will not tolerate impertinent individuals like this malapert servant.”

Mr Zafar Iqbal was suspended and a charge sheet was served on him in July 1972 with the allegation that the impugned letter was impertinent, arrogant and irrelevant. Mr Zafar Iqbal’s response to this charge sheet was given to an enquiry officer who ruled that the accused officer was guilty of the charges. Subsequently, Mr Zafar Iqbal was dismissed from service in August 1973.

Mr Zafar Iqbal did not give up his fight. He appealed to the Services Tribunal and after six years’ struggle won his case. He was reinstated with full benefits and seniority.

I first met Zafar Iqbal in 1955 when he went to England with the 1953 CSP batch for final training and I was also there for a three-month O&M training course with the British treasury.

After that we remained colleagues and close family friends. Zafar Iqbal rose to prominence in the mid-1960s when, as deputy secretary external finance, he displayed exceptional competence in preparing and presenting the annual foreign exchange budgets which provided the basis for periodical import policies whose centrepiece was the famous Export Bonus Voucher Scheme.

As chief of the international economics section in the Planning Commission at that time, I worked very closely with him and his immediate boss, the late Majid Ali, joint secretary external finance.

Zafar Iqbal’s reputation for hard work and innovative management got another boost in 1979, when after his reinstatement, he took over as chairman, National Development Finance Corporation, which had been set up to meet the funding requirement of public-sector enterprises.

Two other DFIs, namely PICIC and IDBP had been working for two decades to finance private-sector projects, but after the large-scale nationalisation of industries in the early 1970s, there were dozens of corporations to handle nationalised units in several sub sectors.

By the time Zafar Iqbal left NDFC in 1986 to join the central secretariat as secretary ministry of production, it was one of the best DFIs. NDFC’s monitoring role, before extending financial facilities to public-sector enterprises, kept them from gliding into the kind of financial meltdown that was witnessed in later years.

Greenstar, the well known family health NGO, which Zafar Iqbal had been managing for the past 15 years, bears his hallmark of integrity and efficiency. Zafar Iqbal, above all, was a very fine human being. He leaves behind many friends, and admirers who will miss him with many fond memories.

The writer is vice chancellor of the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore.

[B][url]http://www.dawn.com/2012/03/30/an-outstanding-civil-servant.html[/url][/B]

Civil service setup reflects bad governance
 

[CENTER][B]Civil service setup reflects bad governance[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]WHY were some people so confident about the setup of our civil services and the competence of local civil servants?[/B] A prime reason was its method of recruitment. Another was the judicious method of preparing the seniority list.
There was no excuse for exemptions from departmental examinations and career-related trainings. The mode of entry into civil services of a country was only on the basis of merit through competitive examinations. There was no chance for direct inductions.
In the post-independence period, civil services lost their prestige because of violation of rules and regulations on the method of recruitment. Direct appointments on the basis of political influence caused decay in the quality of public servants.
The method for recruitment is defined by law as 50 per cent direct recruitment on the recommendations of the Sindh Public Services Commission (SPSC) on the outcome of the combined competitive examinations, and 50 per cent through promotions from the available lot of Mukhtiarkars serving in the revenue department.
Later on, six per cent seats from the quota of promotions were kept for recruitment as assistant commissioner amongst subordinate officials of the revenue department and PS of the chief secretary, chief minister and ministers of the government of Sindh for which select list ‘A’ and select list ‘B’ were to be prepared on the basis of exigency only and with consultation of the commission.The consecutive governments after 1988 started violating rules while directly appointing assistant commissioners in BS-17 over and above their prescribed ratio of six per cent against promotional seats, giving them seniority from the date of appointment.
The present lot of civil servants of the province, comprising BS-18 to BS-21, is from those officers who were recruited directly through nominations by passing the Public Service Commission and exempting them from mandatory departmental examinations. These officers have usurped the legal rights of qualified people.
Besides, they have occupied prime postings in the government of Sindh as secretary, commissioner, deputy commissioner, additional secretary and deputy secretary.
Therefore, they are delivering less and appeasing their political bosses more.
The government from 1988-1990 and 1994-96 took a big leap for appointments in BS-17 of the executive branch of the S and GAD through direct nominations while bypassing the Public Service Commission and violating relevant rules regarding nominations and quota.
The government took historic strides in according exemptions to their own appointees from passing mandatory departmental examination of assistant collector part I and II.
At least, 90 per cent exemptions have been granted during the last four years.
In this scenario, it is not possible to run the business of government departments in a befitting manner when responsible officers also fall victim to bad governance and start running hither and thither to file appeals/petitions before various courts for promotions and seniority. They keep struggling to save themselves from the crux of the executive authority of political leadership.
[I]DR ABDUL QADEER MEMON[/I]
[I]Naushero Feroze, Sindh[/I]


[I][B][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/04/13/civil-service-setup-reflects-bad-governance/"]Source[/URL][/B]
[/I]

CSS exams: need for reform
 

[CENTER][B]CSS exams: need for reform[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]THE Central Superior Services examination has a considerable potential for attracting a major portion of educated youths.[/B]
The significance of this examination cannot be denied. The question is whether or not this examination is technically the best model.
There appears numerous fissures in the very structure of the CSS examination.
Prerequisite for such an examination to be fair is its ability to maintain a single standard for all contestants. Unfortunately, this requirement is not materialised.
Answer copies are assessed by different professors and subject specialists. A professor of sociology, for instance, who is by generous, may be lavish, if not extravagant, in awarding marks to a candidate of mediocre level whereas the answer paper of a more intelligent and knowledgeably candidate for the same subject checked by a strict expert is likely to get fewer marks.
In this backdrop a candidate is left with the only option of praying for his answer copy to be checked by a benevolent expert.
Doesn’t it mean then that a candidate must be lucky?
This is, then, injustice done to a more intelligent candidate and puts a question mark over the entire examination process.
Another ostensive flaw that can render the examination process vulnerable to being unjust is socio-psycho in nature and called ‘difference of approach’, in sociological terms.
A conformist or non-conformist approach to an idea, thought or a viewpoint of an assessor, more particularly in subjects of the social sciences, history and language other than in natural sciences, sometimes proves critical for candidates.
If an expert finds himself in line with the analytical reasoning put forward by a candidate, he is most likely to award marks, whereas the same idea propounded by other candidate may make another expert to disagree outrightly. Hence, the concept of uniformity in paper assessment remains thoroughly unpredictable.
The FPSC cannot deny that any survey, test or examination which involves luck, chance and human factors, including prejudice, emotional attachment, personal bias, conformist or unconformist approach, can fairly be error-free and its results accurate.
Maintaining impartiality and objectivity, controlling all variables, providing consummate equality for all contestants and ensuring unprejudiced and uninfluenced approaches usher in scientifically accurate results, and this is what ‘objectivity’ is and why theoretic conclusions are valueless without it.
Considering the above-mentioned reservations and internal and external examination procedure pitfalls, the FPSC must come out with a sustainable plan to work on the CSS examination and reforms should be introduced to ensure strict uniformity, universal applicability and equality at all levels to make the examination fault-free, thereby reducing the concept of luck factor.
[I]SAHITO ZAHEER[/I]
[I]Khairpur[/I]


[I][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/05/08/css-exams-need-for-reform/"]Source[/URL]
[/I]

Conduct of civil servants
 

[B][I]By Ismail Khan
[/I][/B]
THE gradual breakdown of law and order in Swat in late 2008 and its total collapse in the early 2009 was until now considered to be the most damning charge against the civil and police bureaucracy of their failure to anticipate and arrest the fast declining security situation.

Since no lessons were learnt, it now appears that the unravelling of events, based on eyewitness accounts, that led to the
Bannu jailbreak in the early hours of April 15, 2012, has upstaged even the Swat paradigm.

In the aftermath of the Bannu jailbreak, some senior officers including the commissioner and DIG police along with the IG prisons Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were removed from their posts and asked to report to the Establishment Department. The last mentioned had taken over less than a month before the horrendous incident.

The malady afflicting the civil service in Pakistan is often traced to its having been politicised. This may not be a wholly correct diagnosis. An ailment essentially needs a correct diagnosis in order to be treated properly.

A proper analysis of the conduct of civil servants, and the quality of the services delivered by them over a period of time would suggest that the rot in the system could more appropriately be called a sort of degeneration set in motion by the wild ambitions and Machiavellian practices preferred by civil servants to the liking of their masters.

The relatively reclusive and taciturn civil officer of yore is dead and forgotten. This is the age of go-getters; of those who cannot wait for their time and turn. The most disrespectful moment in the history of the civil service came when newspapers started speculating about the expected transfers and postings of civil servants. That was followed by even more bizarre developments when some posts were referred to as more lucrative than others.

Civil servants, as the term suggests, are servants in the service of the public. Rationally, they could only be expected to aspire to the highest rung of their service career, whatever that might be.

In Pakistan in general and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular, the situation is quite contrary to the established and perceived norms and practices.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is not uncommon to come across ridiculous situations where officers of various groups lay claim to which post or department should go to which group. What motives could be there behind such outlandish demands?

The officers of various groups use the platforms of their respective associations to air their grievances and demands. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officers’ associations are literally being run on the lines of trade unions; in fact, some of the tactics applied by the former surpass even those resorted to by the latter.

This is disappointing, as a better performance would ideally have been expected from those serving in the province which is in the forefront of the war-like situation in the country. Unfortunately, the situation, as it is, can best be described as a free for all. Inappropriate demands bordering on those that don’t make sense are being made and pandered to.

In the context of the prevailing state of civil service in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, grades and ranks have become immaterial.

There are many examples where officers of junior grades are occupying posts for which they are otherwise not qualified.

The track record of some officers would indicate that these gentlemen have rarely, if ever, held a post proportionate to their grades. Some secretary-level officers complain in private that they feel embarrassed when they find themselves being equated with officials who until recently were serving as their section officers.

All posts of District Coordination Officers (DCOs) are invariably in basic scales of 20, save the one in Peshawar which is in 21. However, hardly if any of these 26 posts have been filled by officers of the requisite grade.

In one particular case, a DCO in a very important district bordering Afghanistan and the largest in size is occupied by an officer in BS-17, while the post of the DCO Peshawar is held by an officer in BS-18. Doesn’t this amount to having no trust in senior officers?

Similarly, there are tens of examples where an officer could be holding the charge of another post in addition to his own, which must invariably be very onerous and demanding full attention.

An officer could simultaneously look after the additional duties of fields as varied as industry or agriculture or in a more absurd scenario of health and minerals.

In many cases, an officer could be a commissioner and secretary of two or three different departments in one year.

Although examples of such rare genius cannot be found anywhere else, yet the country is in a state that is far from desirable.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a uniform service structure in the shape of the Provincial Management Service (PMS) has been introduced by the previous government thus dealing a lethal blow to professionalism.

In the new scheme of things, an officer serving as section officer could suddenly be recalled to go and serve in the field as magistrate. That at least would be a lesser evil; the most bedevilling scenario being the one in which PMS officers keep dictating their own choice in the face of temptation.

There appears to be no silver lining as the status quo seems to be to the liking of one and all. Mediocrity, the sum total of our civil service, will forever rule this country, and remain unchallenged.

The writer is editor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

[B][U][url]http://dawn.com/2012/05/18/conduct-of-civil-servants/[/url][/U][/B]

Bureaucrats may get 50 pc raise in daily allowance
 

[B][I]Hanif Khalid
Saturday, May 19, 2012[/I][/B]

[B]ISLAMABAD: Various proposals are being considered to increase perks and allowances of civil and military employees.Sources said there is a proposal to increase the daily allowance of government employees from BPS-17 to BPS-22 by 50 percent. About two years ago, the daily allowance of government employees from BPS 1 to 16 was doubled.There is another proposal to increase the daily allowance of government employees in BPS-17 and 18 from Rs640 to Rs960. Another proposal to increase the daily allowance while travelling inside and outside the country is also being considered. There are chances of 100 percent raise in the medical allowance for employees from BPS-1 to 15.[/B]

[B][U][url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-14701-Bureaucrats-may-get-50-pc-raise-in-daily-allowance[/url] [/U][/B]

CSS exam: the official view
 

CSS exam: the official view

[B]THIS is with reference to Sahito Zaheer’s letter (May 8).[/B]
Both in the written examinations and viva voce the Commission makes efforts to assess the intellectual and academic calibre of candidates, their analytical ability and level of maturity and other personal qualities.
It is clarified that though the number of candidates appearing in the CSS examinations is increasing every year and there is a corresponding increase in the scripts that have to be assessed, the FPSC has maintained the high standard of CSS examination as a model recruitment examination with its fairness, transparency and integrity recognised all over the country.
The FPSC ensures uniform assessment of all candidates by engaging one examiner for one subject who is a recognised and
experienced expert in the field.
Views of Sahito Zaheer in respect of the conformist and non-conformist approach to an idea regarding assessment are misconceived. It is merely his presumption that only the conformists will get rewarded. Given the standard of examiners, there is no likelihood that they would indulge in a biased approach. Their approach is purely objective and academic.
In fact, every effort is made by the FPSC to provide a level playing field to all CSS candidates.




ABDUL SABOOR NIZAMANI
Director General (E), FPSC
Islamabad.
[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/01/css-exam-the-official-view/"]
[/URL]
[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/01/css-exam-the-official-view/"]Source[/URL]

Gilgit-Baltistan, the next slaughter house for merit
 

[B][CENTER]Gilgit-Baltistan, the next slaughter house for merit
Ansar Abbasi
Friday, June 01, 2012[/CENTER][/B]


ISLAMABAD: In a unique case of murder of merit, government non-papers, which are never made part of the official record, show why the most eligible candidates are deprived of their right to get official jobs in the federal government under Gilani’s misrule.

Official documents and some of these government non-papers available with The News show how callously the federal government had annulled the process of appointments in an official department merely because those who had passed the written test and got the top positions were not the blue-eyed boys of political masters.

Such ruthless is the murder of merit in government appointments that against 50 posts up to BPS-16 level, the list of favourites contained 63 names, thus leaving no chance for even one single appointment on merit.

Smelling a rat, the officer concerned, who was to make the appointments or recommend the same, timely got the results of the tests displayed on department’s noticeboard for public but the political master came with a final blow — annul the recruitment process for initiation of a fresh process and remove the officer, who tried to be smart to uphold merit.

Adding insult to injury, this is all happening in the newly-established Gilgit-Baltistan Secretariat in Islamabad and those aspiring to get their favourites appointed include Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Manzoor Wattoo, Member GB Council Saeed Afzal, Advisers to Chairman GB Council Attaullah Khan, Ghulam Hussain Saleem and Wazir Ibadat Ali, and Chairman PAC GB Council Mohammad Ibrahim.

The non-papers show Manzoor Wattoo recommended the names of 40 favourites, mostly from Okara, for their appointment but it could not happen thus resulting in the annulment of the recruitment process.

Non-papers, which are available with the deputy secretary and joint secretary administration of the council secretariat, are not part of the official record but one of these papers contains addition of another name of a favourite by Minister Wattoo in his own hand writing.

The official documents, however, presented a convincing justification for annulling the recruitment process but here too the minister, while approving the recommendation of annulling the recruitment process, smartly ignored the secretary’s proposal that recruitment should not be made against those positions that would be of no use for the next three years.

The re-initiation of the recruitment process afresh would not include new advertisements but would fill all the posts including those which would be of no use for the next three years.In his note, the minister wrote, “Recommendations to the extent of annulment is approved. Recruiting exercise may be taken. Recruitment process may be started afresh.”

According to the official documents, the results of written tests were announced in April 2012 but once the interested parties found the names of their favourites missing from the merit list of successful candidates, the process of annulment started on May 2 and concluded positively on May 5, 2012.

Everybody, even the secretary, endorsed the file that the recruitment process was transparent and merit-based but the council secretariat got a request from the GB chief minister on May 1, asking for the initiation of recruitment process afresh.

The PAC Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim, Adviser to Chairman GB Council Prof Ghulam Hussain Saleem and Member Council Saeed Afzal, all three who had recommended the appointment of their favourites as reflected in the non-papers, also approached the minister on May 2 and May 3 with the demand that the written test be annulled as the maximum possible number of applicants could not take the tests because of the law and order situation and other reasons. It was also said that the candidates of GB were unable to appear in the tests.

After receiving these objections, the concerned Joint Secretary GBC Shakil Malik wrote on the file: “(para 35 of the official file) 35. The chief minister Gilgit-Baltistan has stated that a large number of candidates of Gilgit-Baltistan approached him regarding late receipt of call letter. They could not appear in written test due to prevailing law and order situation and uncertain weather conditions. He proposed that ongoing recruitment process may be cancelled and started afresh.

“Similarly, Professor Ghulam Hussain Saleem, Adviser, and Muhammad Ibrahim, Chairman PAC, have also stated that Baltistan region has totally been ignored as candidates from Baltistan could not reach for written test due to non receipt of call letters in time and law and order situation.”

In para 37 of the official file, Shakil clearly wrote: “Probably worthy members and the honourable chief minister have names of some particular candidates in their minds who could not succeed.” In his note, Shakil Malik initially erroneously (because of clerical staff mistake) mentioned that the candidates appearing from the GB were 36 percent of total 571 candidates from the GB but before the annulment order of the minister, a fresh note was moved and the staff of the minister was informed as well that the candidates who had appeared for the test were not 36 percent but 72 percent. But still the written test was annulled for obvious reasons.

The official file, while regretting the earlier mistake, conveyed to the secretary of the GB Council Secretariat the exact figures of those who had applied and those who had appeared in the exam. The file also mentioned that Zafar, a staff of Manzoor Wattoo, has been given the aforesaid figures on telephone. However, still the written tests were annulled.

Now the secretariat is working on fresh recruitment process from written tests without realising how all such candidates would appear again after knowing the fate of their written test. “Only political appointees would appear,” a GBC Secretariat official said, adding they had to now issue call letters to the same candidates whose written tests were conducted earlier and merit based short-listing was done for the interviews.

“Even if a fresh process is to be started, it should have been with fresh advertisement giving one month notice as provided in the recruitment policy,” the official source said but feared that seeing Shakil Malik removed from the post of joint secretary after his struggle for merit, there is hardly anyone else in the secretariat to offer the next sacrifice for principles.

Manzoor Wattoo was repeatedly approached by The News on all his contact numbers but he neither responded nor replied to any question sent to him through text messages.One Qadeer, personal secretary to Manzoor Wattoo, was approached on Tuesday and was informed regarding questions by a staffer of The News. Qadeer promised that Manzoor Wattoo would call back and will respond but it never happened.


[URL="http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-15033-Gilgit-Baltistan-the-next-slaughter-house-for-merit"]Source[/URL]

CSS exam: a civil servant’s view
 

[B][CENTER]CSS exam: a civil servant’s view
[/CENTER][/B]
THIS is apropos of Abdul Saboor Nizamani’s letter ‘CSS exam: the official view’ (June 1).

He says the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) does not employ any biased approach in examining candidates and that the FPSC ensures uniform assessment of all candidates by engaging one examiner for one subject.

I beg to differ with his clarification on the following grounds: there is no denying the fact that some subjects in Central Superior Services (CSS) examinations are very low-scoring and others are high-scoring. For example, many science students never opt for their previously studied academic courses and rely on subjects pertaining to history, regional languages, Arabic and geography.

A cursory look at the latest marking trends proves that certain subjects which are not very relevant to a civil service are highly rewarding while subjects like economics, public administration, statistics, computer science and law. which have a growing application in civil service, are comparatively low-scoring subjects. I have never heard of anyone scoring above 70 per cent in Economics, and yet every Tom, Dick and Harry scores 75 per cent and above in regional languages.

The favouritism practised by some subject specialists and the apathy shown by others during marking of optional subjects of the CSS is in marked contrast to the policy of fair and transparent FPSC so acclaimed by the writer.

To quote another example, I would like to know which post-graduate university in Pakistan, apart from UET, Lahore, includes in its syllabus tensor analysis as a course on applied mathematics.

I have yet to come across a single teacher who knows how to solve partial differential equations with Monge’s method. The crux of my argument is that it is time the FPSC adopted a uniform system of compulsory and optional subjects by
identifying subjects bearing significance in policy-making like economics, sociology, information technology, public administration, professional ethics, logic, and administrative law. And then devise an advanced system of online examination whereby any number of candidates could be examined in real time. The GRE international examination is one such model to follow. The FPSC needs to remove the role of luck factor by adopting technology-based comprehensive assessment of candidates. Quizzes posted by FPSC interview panels remind one of Qudratullah Shahab’s satirical remarks on ICS vivas.

Reliance on antonym, synonym, pair of words, etc, usually filter out quite brilliant candidates (50 per cent candidates flunk English precis and composition) because they don’t know that ‘Cajun’ is a French-Canadian descendant or ‘veld’ is a South African grassland.

JUNAID KHAN
Islamabad


[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/03/css-exam-a-civil-servants-view/"]Source[/URL]

CSS exam: the official view
 

[B]CSS exam: the official view[/B]

[B]THIS is with reference to Junaid Khan’s letter “CSS exam: a civil servant’s view’ (June 3)[/B].
It is clarified that all segments of the CSS examinations, the annual competitive examinations conducted to recruit civil servants (BS-17), are devised, keeping in view the existing educational systems in the country, syllabi (graduation/post-graduation) of various subjects, the comfort level of candidates in terms of their academic specialisation and, possibly, the most effective mechanism to assess their capabilities vis-à-vis the advertised posts.

The scheme of CSS examinations consists of three parts: first, compulsory subjects; second, optional subjects; and third, psychological test and viva voce. Whereas, equal marks (600 in each case) are allocated to compulsory and optional subjects, the viva voce is assigned 300
marks, making the aggregate total of 1500 marks.
The rationale behind the three sets of tests is based on the FPSC’s endeavour to provide equal opportunities to candidates so as to determine their merit on the touchstone of equity, fairness and transparency. The compulsory subjects make the basic threshold for qualifying the examinations. They are meant to evaluate the common knowledge, academic and intellectual faculties and insight of the candidates. By the same token, through the viva voce, inter alia, candidates’ communication skills, analytical abilities and emotional stability are judged.

The FPSC offers a wide range of optional subjects, low-scoring as well as high-scoring, to be selected by candidates. The individual performance of the candidate in his choicest subjects must not cast any aspersions on the assessment of the examiners, as choice of optional subjects rests with candidates who have to weigh their options to score well in competitive examinations.

It is further clarified that the FPSC has always been responsive to the ever-changing scene of international education. Therefore, new subjects for graduate and postgraduate studies have been added to the syllabi of CSS examinations in recent years.

In 2007 the Commission hired the services of a consultant to study the civil service examination system of developed and neighboring countries and make recommendations. He reported that the FPSC’s current system, of assessment and evaluation of candidates’ suitability for posts of the Civil Service, being very comprehensive, was one of the best in reckoning.
It goes without saying that the conduct of CSS examinations is a very important undertaking of the FPSC. Over the decades, it has stood the test of time, and its stakeholders have always reposed confidence in its merit-oriented results. However, the FPSC would always welcome any plausible proposal towards improving its systems.




ABDUL SABOOR NIZAMANI
Director-General, FPSC
Islamabad


[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/15/css-exam-the-official-view-2/"]Source[/URL]

CSS exam: discrepancies
 

[B]CSS exam: discrepancies
[/B]


[B]THIS is apropos of Abdul Saboor Nizamani’s letter ‘CSS exam: official view’ (June 15). In the letter the official version is reported by a senior and responsible FPSC official about the CSS examinations.[/B]
The writer has tried to prove the existence of a fair and transparent mechanism of the CSS exams by providing an overview of the examination criterion which is totally different from reality. We have no objection regarding the three tests conducted by the FPSC for this competitive examination and we also strongly support their views regarding equal opportunity in this examination.
However, we do not agree with his point of view regarding the fairness, merit and transparency in this examination. As I appeared in CSS 2009 examinations, with roll number 1643, I obtained 669 marks but was declared fail in just one compulsory paper by just six marks. In one of optional subjects, Islamic History, I obtained 152 marks out of 200.
The first attempt of the CSS was both shocking and encouraging for me because my marks were excellent and I just failed by a narrow margin, but I did not lose hope and appeared in CSS 2010. In this attempt in my optional subjects the score was very low, specially in Islamic History: just 80 out of 200 marks as compared to the first one: 152 out of 200 marks.
I did not lose hope and appeared again and obtained 693 marks. I was declared fail in the same compulsory paper; this time just by three marks.
I appeal to the FPSC chairman to reform this institute by reshaping its evaluation policy.
[I]IRFAN AHMED PANHWER[/I]
[I]Khairpur[/I]
[B][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/20/css-exam-discrepancies/"]Source[/URL][/B]

PPSC exams in doldrums
 

[CENTER][B]PPSC exams in doldrums
[/B][/CENTER]

[B]IN Punjab, the Combined Competitive Examinations is conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission to recruit civil servants in Provincial Management Service not on a yearly but on a ‘when required’ basis.[/B]
Thus CCE 2011 was advertised in the first quarter of 2011, and the commission had decided to conduct the written examinations on Sept 7, 2011.
However, due to some litigation, the examination was delayed and then it was re-advertised with amendment in the age limit in early 2012.
Probably to ease the candidates, this time PPSC also advertised the month as being June 2012 for the written examination.
Unfortunately, the commission couldn’t stand by its words as no roll number/date sheet has been issued as yet. Once again, the PPSC is going to delay the examinations for unknown reasons.
Almost 25,000 candidates have applied for the exam and some in-service candidates had got a one-month leave to appear in it. But the PPSC caused them to suffer financially and in the form of wastage of time by delaying the exam. Now no one knows when the exam is going to take place.
Even the future of CCE 2011 seems to be in the doldrums.
The PPSC appears to be the most inefficient institution of the country. Its chairman, who happens to be a retired general, has miserably failed to improve its corrupt and incompetent system.


KAMRAN BASHIR DOGAR
Chichawatni, Sahiwal

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/06/29/ppsc-exams-in-doldrums/"]Source[/URL]

Delay in SPSC exams
 

[CENTER][B]Delay in SPSC exams[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]Governments all over the world create public service commissions for hiring the best people for various jobs.[/B] In Pakistan, there is the Federal Public Service Commission for this purpose at the national level and other public service commissions at the provincial level.
The Federal Public Service Commission is performing its duty efficiently by conducting Combined Competitive Examinations (CSS) annually. It also conducts other examinations for various federal government departments on time. It does not delay examinations and play with the future of poor and meritorious candidates. But, unfortunately, the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) lacks behind in this great cause.
It does not conduct combined competitive examinations annually but does so after a gap of every five or six years. Due to this factor, the age limit of young aspirants for the exam expires.
However, other provincial public service commissions conduct the examinations annually like the Punjab Public Service Commission which conducted the Provincial Management Service examinations in 2010.
I request the chief minister, the chief secretary and the chairman of the SPSC on the behalf of youth of Sindh for announcing the dates of the combined competitive exams as soon as possible. Besides, such examinations should be conducted on an annual basis, so that every young candidate of Sindh can offer his/her service for the public.




[I]ABDUL JABBBAR KATIAR[/I]
[I]Tando Mohammad Khan[/I]

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/07/04/delay-in-spsc-exams/"][B]DAWN[/B][/URL]

Death of civil servants
 

By Letter
Published: July 15, 2012

KARACHI: Two retired civil servants died last week. Both of them, in their own ways, represented the best of Pakistan’s civil service in the best of times.

The senior and better known of the two, Masood Nabi Nur, served in every region of the country as commissioner or deputy commissioner and, perhaps, was the first to be the chief secretary of both Punjab and Sindh. By the sheer force of his charming personality, he made his subordinates work hard and never grudged them recognition — this writer was one of them. That is how the civil servants were recruited through a competitive system and then trained.

The other to depart is Imtiaz Ahmed Khan. He was, perhaps, the first to join the civil service after getting a PhD from America before the age of 24, which was the upper age limit for sitting in the CSS exam. He was a gentleman to the core and an effective deputy commissioner of some turbulent districts across the country. The death of the civil servants of yesteryear is to be mourned for their likes are hard to be seen today. Always vulnerable to political pressures and other temptations, they could hold their ground so long as they had the pride of service and were also constitutionally protected against arbitrary action.

After Zulfikar Ali Bhutto assumed absolute authority as head of the state and government and chief martial law administrator, all power emanated from him and his PPP. He broke the civil service into three groups — tribal, secretariat and district — and cancelled their covenants. That confronted the civil servants with a hard choice between the dictates of a person or party or go by the law using their own discretion in a given situation. Most opted for the former.

The time-old rule of recruitment and promotion on merit alone was abandoned. The result of 40 years of Bhutto’s so-called reforms has been that neither the party in power nor the civil servants can govern. Every politician in power selects his own favourites from a loose cadre or rank outsiders. It has become what the Greek call a ‘kakistocracy’ or government by the worst men.

In that kind of selection, personal preferences outweigh merit and suitability. It is sheer good luck of the people if personal loyalty and competence happen to combine in one official. People, as a whole, have lost trust in the integrity and independence of civil servants, including their specialised cadres like police, economic planners, financial experts and all the rest. The replacement of a ruling party through elections, even if fairly conducted, will not lead to impartial governance unless the civil servants are appointed on merit and are made to act under the law and are punished when they do not.

Kunwar Idris

[B][I][url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/408673/death-of-civil-servants/[/url][/I][/B]

A chief secretary needed
 

[CENTER][B]A chief secretary needed[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]OVER the years the power and efficiency of the bureaucracy deteriorated to a large extent.[/B] The main problem for today’s bureaucracy is political interference. People in important posts serve more as personal servants of politicians and ministers rather than servants of the state.
This has led to a despotic and corrupt regime of bureaucratic officers at the top. A fresh, new and competent officer who wants to go by the book is sure to get into trouble with his seniors and politicians.
Such officers are punished by making them OSD (officers on special duty) or by posting them to far-flung areas of the country.
To make the bureaucracy independent of political influence a post of ‘chief secretary of Pakistan’ must be created. He will be the seniormost grade – 22 officer of the civilian bureaucracy and will be responsible for the overall postings, promotions and decisions.
Just like the officers in the military owe their allegiance to the chief of army staff and look up to him for their defence when it comes to political wrangling, so should the civilian bureaucracy look up to an officer who is from amongst them and knows their difficulties.
The chief secretary will chair regular meetings among the chief secretaries of the provinces and federal secretaries just like an army chief conducts regular meetings with corps commanders for better coordination and unanimity of views.


[B][I]HAMZA NAVEED [/I]
[I]Lahore[/I][/B]
[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/07/31/a-chief-secretary-needed/"][B]
Source [/B][/URL]

PM approves new policy for civil servants’ posting in Balochistan
 

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: In a major initiative to strengthen the bureaucratic set-up in Balochistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asrhaf has revisited the policy of posting and transfer of civil servants in the province.

During the recent months, Balochistan has seen reluctance on part of bureaucracy to serve in the province because of the law and order situation and many officers having domicile from other provinces even refused to serve in the province because of threats to their lives.

The Prime Minister’s House spokesman on Sunday said the prime minister, during his recent visit to Balochistan, had issued directions to devise a policy for appointment of capable, honest and senior officials of law enforcement agencies to improve law and order situation in the province.

In accordance with the policy of the government to arrest the fast deteriorating law and order situation in the province, the prime minister had revisited the policy of transfer of PAS/DMG/PSP officers to Balochistan and accorded approval to a new policy in that regard, he said.

The restoration of law and order and peace in Balochistan was one of the top priorities of the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government, the prime minister had said during his visit to Balochistan, adding that the federal government would fully assist the provincial government in that regard.

[url]http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\08\13\story_13-8-2012_pg1_4[/url]

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[FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="5"]Rotation policy: 90 Punjab DMG officers to be sent to Balochistan[/SIZE][/FONT]

By Anwer Sumra
Published: August 17, 2012

LAHORE: More than half the District Management Group (DMG) officers serving in the Punjab are to be transferred to Balochistan under a new rotation policy issued by the federal government, The Express Tribune has learnt.
An Establishment Division official said that Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had approved the policy and it had been issued last Saturday. He said that lists of the DMG, now known as the Pakistan Administrative Service, and the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers in the province who would be subject to the new policy would be prepared.

The official said that the federal government’s aim with the policy was to end the shortage of qualified officers in the province. He said that the policy would affect Punjab domicile officers who had not served in Balochistan or not completed their mandatory tenure in the province, as well as Balochistan domicile officers who had been serving in the Punjab for more than three years.

The official said that the new policy would promote national cohesion and help remove anti-Punjab sentiment in Balochistan. He said that Balochistan domicile officers would be shifted “immediately”.

A Punjab government official said that Dawood Bareach, the special health secretary, Lahore District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal and Waqas Alam, additional secretary for Mines and Minerals, were Balochistan domicile officers who would be affected by the policy. None of them have been transferred yet.

The Establishment Division official said that Punjab domicile officers who had not served outside the province would be shifted to Balochistan before Punjab domicile officers who had served some time outside the province but not completed their tenures.

Of the 170 DMG officers serving in the Punjab, around 90 have not served in other provinces or have not completed their mandatory stay in other provinces, an official told The Express Tribune. Most of the Punjab domicile officers have not served outside the province, he said. These officers include 35 in BS-18, 67 in BS-19 and 68 in BS-20. They are serving as administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, special secretaries, district coordination officers, director generals in various authorities, and additional secretaries and staff officers to the chief minister. Under the new policy, these mid-career officers would be shifted to Balochistan in phases.

[I]Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.[/I]

Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/423183/rotation-policy-90-punjab-dmg-officers-to-be-sent-to-balochistan"]Express Tribune, 17 August 2012[/URL]

Civil service in decline
 

[CENTER][B]Civil service in decline[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]JUST a few decades ago, joining the Pakistan civil service was the dream of every top student graduating from an elite university. [/B]
Civil servants stood out for not just their overall outlook, but were also well-read and intellectual.
Today, however, few people with high academic achievements and potential are interested in pursuing this career.
While the overall decline in the quality of education is one of the reasons, the major reason has to do with the structure of civil service recruitment: the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination that is the entry point into the Civil Service of Pakistan, and its assessment techniques.
The foremost problem is the very structure of the exam. Candidates are required to appear for six compulsory subjects, each of 100 marks, and can choose from a list of optional subjects that range from carrying 100 to 200 marks to fulfil the remaining requirement of 600 marks. If you pass the exam you move on to the next step, which is the interview.
The problem is that the compulsory subjects — Essay, English, Everyday Science, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs and Islamiat — do not judge the candidates’ intellectual ability. They require rote learning from the prescribed state perspective.
The English section tests antonyms, synonyms and how fast one can read English passages in a given time to answer questions. Students are not trained for this in Pakistan’s educational curriculum. The Essay subject tests knowledge of Victorian-era English with a major focus on flowery language, and the usage of quotations and idioms. This again requires rote learning. If you fail this component, you fail the entire examination — which happens to more than half the candidates who appear every year.
Even bigger problems exist with Pakistan Affairs, Islamiat and Current Affairs, which together account for 50 per cent weightage of the compulsory subjects.
The questions asked are such that there is no single answer. Here are some examples: “Describe the dignity and superiority of Islam with proof as compared to other religions” (2000); “Write down a comprehensive essay on the judicio-political system of Islam” (2002); “What is the concept of ‘Khalafat’ in Islam?” (2001).
Islam in Pakistan is extremely diverse in ideology. What line are students to follow to get high marks?
Pakistan Affairs asks questions such as “Analyse the main causes of the debacle of East Pakistan. What are its consequences on the history of Pakistan?” (2000), and “As a result of British-Hindu conspiracy on the eve of Independence the state of Pakistan which ultimately emerged in August 1947 was not so strong as visualised by the Quaid-i-Azam…. Elucidate”
(2003). What is a student to do if he believes with evidence that there was no British-Hindu conspiracy?
The questions are shockingly discriminatory and do not allow true intellect to pass the exams. Candidates are forced to memorise the state-sponsored narrative and are barred from thinking out of the box. The analysis required must be in line with the dominant narrative and ideology.
With the science subjects, it’s nearly impossible to score high in even subjects such as maths and economics because the examiners only care about the ‘right’ answer. The system followed throughout the world is that marks are allotted for the steps taken in working towards an answer, not just for the right answer.
As a result, rarely does anyone opt for science subjects; most choose high-scoring subjects such as journalism and political science. The subjects are not equally weighed in difficulty and in terms of assessment.
These discriminatory compulsory subjects could be replaced with simple verbal and analytical tests that gauge the students’ analytical abilities. There should be less stress on the English language since perfection in this regard is not necessarily a good indicator of intellect.
The grading of the CSS examinations is not centralised. Answer scripts are left to the mercy of individual examiners who are likely to grade according to personal biases and training.
Some graders might be more generous, others stingy with marks. There is no uniformity or standard grading key, leaving students hoping mainly for good luck. There is no way for a critical and analytical thinker to pass these exams.
A serious revision is needed in the pattern and structure of the CSS exam and its assessment. Instead of gauging students through their ability to memorise books and write lengthy essays, the exam should judge the analytical ability of the student.
A good example is the United Kingdom’s Graduate Fast Stream, the first step of civil service recruitment, which is a test of verbal reasoning and mental arithmetic, and continues with innovative techniques such as the ‘situation judgment test’ which examines candidates’ ability to handle different tasks, argue a case, deal with people and implement projects.
While the test is highly rigorous, the focus is on candidates’ core qualities of analysis, communication, execution and the ability to deliver.
The bureaucracy underpins the success of a nation, and Pakistan desperately needs to restructure and refine its bureaucracy by attracting leading intellectuals.
A good starting point would be a CSS examination that is focused on assessing core human abilities rather than in-depth knowledge to distinguish between intellectuals and rote learners, and brings the best minds into the civil service. Strengthening the bureaucracy is key to checking the corruption of politicians, and reducing the ability of the Pakistan Army to interfere in domestic policymaking.
A weak democracy has historically worked in the favour of both the army and politicians, and hence we don’t, perhaps, see the will to reform the civil service recruitment structure or assess whether the CSS exam is actually bringing in the right people to do the job.
The writer is a visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, D.C.
[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/08/27/civil-service-in-decline/"]Source[/URL]

Babus controversy takes new turn
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="3"]Babus controversy takes new turn[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]


LAHORE – It remains to be seen whether the new policy recommended and forwarded by the committee comprising chief secretaries of Punjab and AJK and services secretaries of all the federating units be fruitful in bridging the gap between the PCS and PAS (formerly DMG) cadres or further increase it?
As per the new decision forwarded for further consideration, the BPS-18 officers of provincial services could be inducted into the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).
The government would give the names of PCS officers for interview, and the successful candidates would enjoy the perks and privileges of the PAS. Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mahmood Khosa, who happens to be the convener of the committee, while taking to TheNation said the committee had sent the recommendations to the federal government for further consideration.
“The committee thoroughly considered the promotion process of provincial officers and recommended that about 10 percent of the available seats from all the provinces should be given to PCS officers, thus 30 officers from each province would be inducted into the PAS through the FPSC,” he informed.
The Punjab chief secretary said the committee recommended this to encourage the experienced and talented provincial officers as per the 1993 agreement. “The committee had also considered the current situation of Balochistan and decided to bring its officers into the national pool,” he added.
“The DMG officers played another trick and tried to manipulate the rightful demand of PMS Officers,” said a spokesman of the provincial services, adding that the new formula would further slow down the promotion process. “Let the apex court decide about our fate,” he maintained.
A PCS officer seeking anonymity said the Civil Service was established in 1954 and a few seats were reserved for CSP officers in the provinces. “Of the 663 Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) seats, only 58 seats were reserved for CSPs and the remaining 605 were exclusively set aside for provincial services; while 30 per cent quota of CSP seats was fixed for PCS officers and 28 PCS officers were to be inducted in the federal government from BPS-18 to BPS-22. Later, the DMG abolished Rule 7 in 1973 and the PCS quota in the federal government was wiped out. This was the first trick of the DMG against provincial officers,” he alleged.
The present move, the PCS officer said, was aimed at mitigating the effects of the case under trial in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He maintained that on average 15 years were required for promotion from BPS-17 to BPS-18. “After the implementation of the present formula, PCS officers would get promotion after 20 years of service,” he feared.
“A BPS-18 officer, who may be a deputy secretary in the province, would be elevated as section officer in BPS-18 in the federal government and transferred to the other provinces. As per the rules of promotion from BPS-18 to BPS-19, he or she would have to wait for another seven years,” the officer said.

[B]PCS Officers Organisation President Rai Manzoor Nasir rejected the new formula saying provincial officers in BPS-18 enjoy rapid promotion but with the implementation of the present formula, the promotion process of such officers would become slow. Why PCS officers were not taken on board while taking decisions about their future, he wondered.
Nasir said CSPs should give quota to provincial services in all the grades as it happens in the PSP. After the 18th amendment, the role of CSPs in the provinces has reduced, he claimed.[/B]

[url]http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/lahore/25-Aug-2012/babus-controversy-takes-new-turn[/url]

Civil service in decline’
 

Civil service in decline’

[B]THIS is apropos of Hussain Nadim’s letter ‘Civil Service in decline’ (Aug 27). First of all, each year there is a diversified list of candidates for enrollment (13,071 applied in CE-2011) from graduates and postgraduates. [/B]
Secondly, the trends for setting a paper have drastically changed. One should pick up a test paper and analyse the prevailing pattern.
For “United Kingdom’s Graduate Fast Stream” part, there are questions on analytical assessments, which after clearing the written portion, spread over a period of two days.
A viva voce is taken in front of a highly competent panel where one’s verbal and written skills are assessed. There is also a medical test to gauge the candidate’s physical fitness.


MUHAMMAD UMAIR
Lahore


[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/08/30/civil-service-in-decline-2/"]Source[/URL]

Civil service in decline: the other view
 

[CENTER][U][B]Civil service in decline: the other view[/B]
[/U][/CENTER]

[B]THIS is apropos of the article ‘Civil Service in decline’ (Aug 27). I disagree with the writer’s contention that the reason that Pakistan’s bureaucracy is so undistinguished and lacking is due to the content of the CSS examinations.[/B]
The writer has put forward the usual, trite complaints that CSS examinations are nothing but a means of testing the rote learning techniques of candidates, that innovative thinking is not encouraged and that there is a sinister, state-sponsored narrative that all candidates must ascribe to in order to be awarded high marks. The article seems to be riddled with contradictions, as he first claims rote learning to be the key to success and in the next breath states that there is no fixed answer to certain questions in the compulsory papers.
This in itself indicates that such questions are broadbased and subjective: it is up to the candidate’s innate ability to use his knowledge to answer the questions.
In subjects where there is a fixed answer, Mr Nadim states that even if the fixed answer was incorrectly answered by the candidate, he should be given credit for the working of that answer, although the candidates who sit the examinations are not elementary or high school students but adults who know the consequences of an incorrect answer. In short, Mr Nadim is unhappy when there is no fixed answer (where the candidate’s own ability must elevate him) and when there is a fixed answer (where the candidate’s failure to correctly answer the question is, shockingly, not rewarded).
I also disagree with his observations on the English paper. The papers are of extremely high quality in that they test the reading, verbal and comprehension abilities of the candidates. The solution is not to dumb down the papers so that candidates can better attempt such papers (a la the SAT exams that allow students to ‘work the system’ according to Kaplan and Princeton study guides) but to better the educational system of Pakistan.
The CSS examinations are a recruitment device for government servants at the highest levels of governance, nationally and internationally, and the papers should reflect this. It is not for nothing that this is called a competitive examinations.
Additionally, the battery of psychological tests that a candidate must pass (before the interview and after the written examinations) mirrors England’s Graduate Fast Stream. I take my hat off to anyone who after the combined triad of written examinations, psychological tests and interview is able to emerge in the top 200 out of thousands of candidates. It is hardly a feat to be sneered at.
[I]SANA KHALID TIRMIZEY[/I]
[I]Lahore[/I]


[I][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/05/civil-service-in-decline-the-other-view/"]Source[/URL]
[/I]

Civil service in Pakistan
 

[B]Civil service in Pakistan[/B]

[B]THIS is apropos of Hussain Nadim’s article on civil service in Pakistan (Aug 27). The writer tried to prove that the selection process in civil service is rotten and there should be some improvement in it. [/B]
I second his opinion, but there are some other focal points which I want to add. There must be pre-CSS analytical test. The selection of optional subjects must be according to the department or service for which they are competing.
Police service should have separate recruitment examinations like in India and the other developed countries.
Moreover, every occupational group has a separate examination. In this way, there will be selection of specific candidates for the specific service group.
They will compete on equal grounds for a particular service or group. Ultimately they will perform better in their relevant and specific occupational groups. The FPSC and the authorities concerned must look over it for the betterment of civil service in Pakistan.


SALMAN AFZAL
Islamabad

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/10/civil-service-in-pakistan/"]Dawn[/URL]

Balochistan heat reaches top bureaucracy
 

[CENTER][B]Balochistan heat reaches top bureaucracy[/B]
[B]Jamal Shahid [/B]

[LEFT][B]ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: Pakistan’s top bureaucracy is feeling the heat of the burning problem of Balochistan more acutely as the federal government has made it mandatory for officers to serve for three years in the restive province.[/B][/LEFT]
[LEFT]Officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) who have already served in “hard areas” appear jealous of the officers who hardly ever had to leave the comforts and safety of posh cities for the discomforts and dangers of hard postings.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Last month Establishment Division conveyed its new Rotation Policy to the chief secretaries and the inspector generals of police of the four provinces, the director general Civil Services Academy and the commandants of National Police Academy and the Frontier Constabulary, asserting that three-year service in Balochistan would be mandatory and that the criteria for all current and future postings would be on merit.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]That would mean officers of Balochistan domicile who have completed three years of service outside the province may be posted back to their province of origin.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Same would apply to officers who have remained posted in the federal government, or a province not of their domicile, as well as those who have served outside their province of domicile but not served in Balochistan.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Similarly officers who have served in Balochistan but for less than three years could be sent back to complete mandatory service period.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]In addition, five top PAS and PSP probationary officers will be allocated to Balochistan for their initial appointment.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Most officers, however, were surprised that PAS and PSP officers serving in safe cities, and enjoying its comforts, have been put on equal footing with those serving in hard and conflict-ridden areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They argue that “Balochistan is not the only disturbed or troubled part of the country”.A bitter PAS officer serving in a troubled part of KP contrasted “the lifestyles of us and those who enjoy the safety and comforts of big cities”.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“We even find it risky to share with anyone our plans for field visits. There is constant risk of being abducted. We don’t move without security because we can be slaughtered on the road,” he said.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Another PAS officer, who has spent a year in Khyber Agency, informed: “We either hire taxis or switch number plates on official vehicles to avoid becoming identifiable targets.”[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Theirs was no empty talk. Only two days back militants gunned down a senior police officer, Jamil Kakar, in Quetta. Officers serving at hard posts have no family life. One of them, who had spent two years in Malakand, said most officers suffer from psychological distress as “surviving the day looked a miracle”.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]After all the life in those days was lived “in the midst of bomb blasts, flying bullets and bursting rockets, military movements, bodies and the injured and displaced families,” he said.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“Violence and mayhem were as familiar as grass and sunshine and the topic to discuss day in and day out.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“At worst of the times, you could not get even clean drinking water. Despite the challenges, our resolve to serve the country was unshaken,” the officer said, speaking for his likes.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“PAS/PSP officers are not only serving but delivering – as best as possible,” he said, bitter about “being treated equal to those who were spared hot spot postings”.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]They believe it would have been better for policymakers to identify “hard areas” in all provinces for compulsory postings for “all officers”.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“We need officers in Fata and KP, far-flung areas of southern Punjab as well as the poor districts of interior Sindh. These are all part of Pakistan and need good officers,” said a PSP officer who returned to Islamabad last year after completing three years in KP.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]But the Establishment Division maintains that Balochistan was a province of national significance. Of the 70 vacancies there only five were occupied by officers. There were no hard areas for the civil officers and the terminology was used only in the military, according to the Establishment Division.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]Secretary Establishment Taimur Azmat Osman said posting in Balochistan was not a punishment.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“The problem in Balochistan is of administration. The posts have to be filled. In a tribal setup, the locals prefer officers from the federal government who they believe are neutral,” he said, stressing that the province could neither be ignored nor deprived of competent officers.[/LEFT]
[LEFT]“There are no exemptions for officers who had or are serving in other troubled parts of the country,” he asserted.


[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/10/balochistan-heat-reaches-top-bureaucracy/"][B]Source[/B][/URL]
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‘Civil service in decline’
 

[B][CENTER]‘Civil service in decline’[/CENTER][/B]


THIS is with reference to the article ‘Civil service in decline’ (Aug 27). The writer is of the opinion that decline in civil service is on account of improper structure of CSS competitive examination which promotes rote learning and state-sponsored answers in some papers; that marks are not allotted for the steps taken in working an answer but only a right answer.

Viewpoint expressed by the writer seems to be the outcome of some misconception, as professors of reputable universities who are working as paper setters and examiners; or the examination itself, judge knowledge, comprehension, and foremost the critical and analytical skills of a candidate through the examination as the annual reports can be referred to.

As English is the official language of the country, an officer’s command over the language is necessary to carry out assignments efficiently and effectively.

English Essay and English “Precis and Composition” are considered as the best tools to test proficiency in English language.

It is an admitted fact that religious and cultural values create patriotism among citizens, therefore introduction of Islamiat and Pakistan Studies form part of compulsory group with a view to assess knowledge of a Pakistani in various aspects of ideology of Pakistan.

Around 40 optional subjects are included in the list of optional subjects to judge candidates’ performance in their own fields and candidates are at liberty to choose subjects comprising 600 marks of their own choice that is why scientists (medical doctors and engineers) choose non scientific subjects and secure good positions.

Hence, the conclusion drawn by the writer – discrimination in some subjects is found – is neither correct nor fair. That is why persons like Muhammad Umair and Sana Khalid Tirmizi in their letters (Aug 30) and (Sept 5) respectively have appreciated the existing scheme and syllabi of the examination.

However, FPSC, as a general principle strives to review and improve the standard of testing by including latest developments in various educational fields/disciplines in its examination and testing process. The core objective is to select the best out of the best through a fiercely competitive but fair system.

M. SIDDIQUI SAJID
Islamabad

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/15/civil-service-in-decline-3/"]Dawn[/URL]

Restructuring CSS exams
 

[CENTER][B]Restructuring CSS exams[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]THIS is apropos of Hussain Nadeem’s article ‘Civil Service in decline’ (Aug 27). The writer has highlighted a very important issue which needs to be addressed on an urgent basis.[/B] He has clearly mentioned as to how the English essay is assessed.
Mr Nadeem writes, “The grading of CSS examinations is not centralised. Answer scripts are left to the mercy of individual examiners who are likely to grade according to personal biases and training.”
I am one of those unlucky candidates who have become a victim of this paper-checking criterion. I got 62/100 marks in the English essay in CSS-2009.
The topic was ‘The future of democracy in Pakistan’ and in the same year I got 75/100 marks in Provincial Management Services in which the topic was ‘Action speaks louder than words’. However, in CSS – 2010, I was awarded only 25/100 when I was far better prepared and the topic this time was ‘Literature is the best criticism of life’.
Moreover, the writer has not addressed a crucial issue regarding it which is the allocation of departments once the final merit list is made. The merit list is made on the basis of the marks obtained (written+interview).
Another fatal mistake is being made here, as departments are allocated by the FPSC according to the position in the merit list.
His or her educational and professional background is not given any importance.
Candidates, who are around the 100th position, are given ‘Income Tax’ , ‘Audit’ and ‘Accounts’ groups.
But most of the time, candidates have done their MA in English or Political Science or Journalism or Sociology. How do we expect that the students of social sciences can master the technique of complicated auditing?
On top of that, only those candidates stay in these departments who have either availed all three chances of appearing in the CSS exam or have become overage.
Otherwise, they spend more time on improving their position in the next exam rather than focusing on their training.
Finally, we will have to make drastic changes in this prestigious exam which could be departmentalised. A candidate should be given a clear choice of his department.
Once he chooses a department, he should expect that all the papers would be from the respective field. For instance, International Relations and International Law papers should be taken from those who are interested in Foreign Office, and auditing-related papers from the aspirants of Audit and Accounts group rather than Arabic, Punjabi or Pushto.
If we fail to change our outdated system, we will never have an active, professional and vibrant civil service.


[I]S. ALI MOHSIN IMRAN[/I]
[I]London[/I]

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/19/restructuring-css-exams/"]Source[/URL]

Conveyance allowance for govt servants
 

Conveyance allowance for govt servants

[B]ACCORDING to notifications, no. F. 3(1)-R5/2010 dated July 3, 2012, and no. F. 3(1)-R5/2010 dated Sept 5, 2012, issued by the ministry of finance, the conveyance allowance of officers of Basic Pay Scales 16 to 19 has been increased from Rs2,480 to Rs5,000, while they say nothing about the officers in grade 20 and above who are not sanctioned official vehicle.[/B]
I would like to draw the attention of the ministry of finance regarding anomaly in the conveyance allowance of employees/officers of grade 20 and above who are being paid Rs2,480, while those in grade 16 to 19 are being paid Rs 5,000 since July.
It seems an anomaly which needs to be rectified/reviewed so as to avoid discrimination. During the financial year 2008-20099, the government vide letter number F1(1)imp(2008) dated May 30, 2008, had increased conveyance allowance from Rs1,240 to Rs2,480 of all the officers from BPS 16 to BPS 22.
Hence, the ministry of finance is requested for removal of anomaly so that officers of grade 20 and above, who are not sanctioned an official vehicle, can also get conveyance allowance according to the grade.
[I]DR ALTAF ALI SIYAL[/I]
[I]Hyderabad[/I]


[I][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/25/conveyance-allowance-for-govt-servants/"]Source[/URL]
[/I]

The ‘intellectual’ in Civil Service
 

[CENTER][B]The ‘intellectual’ in Civil Service[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]THIS is with reference to Hussain Nadim’s article ‘Civil Service in decline’ (Aug 27). He is right in saying that “there is no way for a critical and analytical thinker to pass these (Civil Service) exams.”[/B]
The basic reason for it is our abysmal education system which prompts students to depend on numerous guides and solved question papers. Owing to which CSS examinations have mainly become a game of numbers. Candidates don’t seem to be concerned about raising their intellectual taste or worth.
The great harm this faulty system of education has done to the nation is that today the ‘intellectual’ in the Civil Service is undergoing a gradual extinction.
Today’s civil servants couldn’t be deemed as intellectual descendents of the former ICS and CSP officers who used to be intellectual giants due to their vast studies.
Charles H. Kennedy, in his brilliantly authored treatise ‘Bureaucracy in Pakistan’, was also grieved over the sharp intellectual decline of our bureaucrats. According to him, the post-independence Civil Service of Pakistan ceased to produce men of intellectual calibre like ICS officers of the colonial era.
He further went on writing that instead of focusing on their intellectual grooming, the Pakistani brand of civil servants seems obsessed in pursuing other myopic goals like postings, perks and privileges. This makes them ineffectual in comparison to their foreign counterparts who are well-read and in a better position to provide the intellectual input for the policymaking framework.
Mr Nadim is right in saying that ‘Pakistan desperately needs to restructure and refine its bureaucracy by attracting leading intellectuals.’
This is a timely recipe for the assurance of an effective bureaucracy and good governance in Pakistan. But it can’t be achieved unless and until the FPSC is willing to develop an update examination structure which prefers widely-read individuals conversant with many facets of knowledge to those exposed to a mere constricted curriculum and shortcut measures.
We certainly have to care for the best minds of our society. Otherwise our Civil Service is prone to become the victim of Honore de Balzac’s scathing definition: “Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.”
[I]SHAHID NAYYAR[/I]
[I]Lahore[/I]


[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/28/the-intellectual-in-civil-service/"]Dawn[/URL]

Delay in CSS results
 

Delay in CSS results

THE Federal Public Service Commission is an autonomous body and conducts various competitive examinations at intervals and the Central Superior Services examination annually.

The CSS examination is conducted each year for recruiting young and talented graduates from all over Pakistan on the basis of allocated quota.

For the last three years there has been a problem of undue delay in announcing the results of the written examinations.

The written part of the Central Superior Services examination was held in February last, but results have not been announced in the last six months.

Agreed that the number of candidates appearing in the examination has drastically increased in the last three years, it is the foremost responsibility of the authorities concerned to inform CSS candidates about a specific timeframe of the announcement.

The Federal Public Service Commission chairman is requested to take measures for early and timely announcement of the CSS 2012 written examination results by fixing a certain timeframe.

BENAZIR MAHESAR
Kandiaro

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/09/29/delay-in-css-results/"]Dawn[/URL]

Mediocre civil servants
 

Mediocre civil servants

THIS is apropos of Tasneem Noorani’s article ‘The death of governance’ (Sept 18). I agree with the writer that promulgation of the new Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 has declared the death of governance.

The writer says: “The Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 gives the government carte blanche to circumvent the provincial Public Service Commission.”

This Machiavellian move is certainly the demise of merit. Now, instead of competent and honest civil servants, appointed through the competitive examination process, we will have the backstairs civil servants, selected on the basis of criterion of better servitude to the ruling political parties.

On the issue civil servants are indifferent, the media is soundless, and the judiciary is inactive. But here my concern is the silence from the candidates of competitive examinations who burn their midnight oil to become civil servants.

I call upon them that whether their conscience is paralysed. Or if they have presumed that one can be a good civil servant without discharging their responsibilities. They must bear it in mind that nature doesn’t care about the nation that cares not the meritocracy.

S. QAISER SOHAIL
Hyderabad

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/10/01/mediocre-civil-servants/"]Source[/URL]

FBR proposes creation of border force to curb smuggling
 

Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: To curb smuggling of at least $2.5 billion per annum estimated by USAID, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has proposed the establishment of a Customs Border Force (CBF) and creation of 10,000 posts in phases, it is learnt.
According to official documents, the existing workforce posted at borders to control smuggling comprises just 124 sepoys with most of them being above 55 years of age. Referring to a recent report by the World Bank, the country lost approximately $35 billion between 2001 and 2009 on account of smuggling under the guise of Afghan transit trade alone.
The FBR has proposed to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf three structures including Customs Border Patrolling Posts (CBPPs), Range and Regional Offices, CBF to monitor and curb smuggling in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta, Gwadar and Karachi and establishing CBF headquarters in Islamabad headed by a director general of BS-21.
The FBR has prepared a concept paper and presented it to the PM in his recent visit to the FBR but it requires the assent of the Ministry of Finance and other relevant forums. “Yes, we have recommended to PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf the establishment of infrastructure at borders for effective enforcement and revenue collection when he paid a visit to the FBR,” said FBR Member Customs Mohammad Riaz.
Top officials also referred to another study undertaken by USAID, which found that every year $2.5 billion goods are being smuggled back into Pakistan via the Afghan transit trade. According to the FBR concept paper, the main enforcement unit will be the CBPP, which will be responsible for patrolling enforcement against smuggling of narcotics, chemical precursors, explosive precursors, contraband items, raw material and general merchandise from the neighbouring countries and sea into Pakistan.
Patrolling posts will be created after every 50-60 km in the areas alongside the borders of Afghanistan and Iran and along the coastal belt of Pakistan.Four to five CBPPs would be monitored by the Range Office headed by an officer not below deputy director and these offices will be located in a city or town that is strategically important to control smuggling.
Similarly, a Regional Office headed by an additional director of BS-19 will supervise two to three Range Offices. The FBR proposed four divisional headquarters in Peshawar with the mandate to curb smuggling across the Pak-Afghan border.
Source..The News, October 16 2012.

FBR to get 350 new posts
 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has agreed in principle to give BPS-22 to the all members of Federal Board of Revenue and directed the chairman FBR to send a summary to him regarding new 350 posts from grade-19 to grade-21 through Ministry of Finance after completing all legal requirements for approval.

The prime minister said that the FBR would get 350 new posts from BPS-19 to BPS 21. He stated this while agreeing with the proposals of the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Ali Arshad Hakeem of giving 150 new posts from grade-19 to 21 to Pakistan Customs Service and almost 200 posts of same number to Inland Revenue Services. He said that he would be pleased in giving these posts to the FBR.

Hanif Khalid
Saturday, October 06, 2012

Army quota in CSS
 

[CENTER][B]Army quota in CSS[/B]
[/CENTER]

[B]THE army has a quota in the Central Superior Service, and civil service examinations are the most authentic and prestigious examinations in our country. These examinations judge the overall calibre of a person willing to join the Civil Service. [/B]
Our army was allocated quota as a favour by dictator Gen Ziaul Haq during his reign by amending the law through his puppet parliament.
The quota is allocated for the top three groups in Civil Services of Pakistan, i.e. Police Service of Pakistan, Pakistan Administrative Service (former DMG) and Foreign Service of Pakistan.
The serving commissioned officers of the three forces join civil bureaucracy without taking any kind of written examinations.
This is sheer injustice to the candidates who have to burn midnight oil even to pass the examinations.
In the beginning (when this wicked law was passed), the army inductees were given last positions in the seniority list. When Zia came to know about this, he added icing to the cake by passing a law in which the army inductees were given topmost slots in the seniority list.
They were given marks equal to the top scorer of the group they had joined. This infringes upon the merits of this examination.
Nowadays, the PPP talks big that it has restored the constitution as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had wanted it. I would like to draw their attention to this infamous amendment by Gen Zia of not only inducting army men into the Civil Service but also placing them second to none.
This demoralises prospective Central Superior Service candidates who are genuinely judged by undergoing written assessment.
The placement of army inductees on top of the seniority list is also infamous among the group members. This quota should be abolished immediately.
Therefore, I request the sitting lawmakers to do away with the unrighteous law and foul play by Gen Zia who said: “What is a constitution? Just a piece of paper, which I can tear apart and throw away anytime”.
[I]IMTIAZ AWAN[/I]
[I]Islamabad[/I]


[I][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/10/19/army-quota-in-css-2/"]Dawn[/URL]
[/I]

Pay commission calls for doing away with salary distortions
 

[SIZE="5"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Pay commission calls for doing away with salary distortions[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[COLOR="DimGray"]Khaleeq Kiani | 11 hours ago[/COLOR]

ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: The Pay and Pension Commission has sought an end to payment of ‘special’ salaries to employees of institutions like the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and recommended that a government official’s various allowances be merged to form a pay package that reflected his or her true monthly income.

The proposal is aimed at ensuring equal treatment of all civil servants.

A meeting of the commission chaired by former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain here on Friday was attended by former secretary-general of finance division Naveed Ahson, adviser to finance ministry Rana Asad Amin and additional finance secretaries of the four provinces.

Dr Hussain told Dawn that he wanted to get promotions and salary raises linked to performance through introduction of a proper performance manual system instead of the traditional annual confidential reports. He said that use of seniority as the basis for promotions “does not differentiate between a horse and a donkey when it comes to rewarding performance and output”.

“The entire salary structure needs to be changed so that salaries are uniform but performance-based. They should not be awarded on the basis of the location of posting,” he remarked.

Dr Hussain said the salary structure should do away with the doubling or tripling of the allowances for those working, for instance, in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat or Federal Board of Revenue.

He said the commission had recommended that various allowances of a civil servant be integrated so that his/her pay package clearly showed what the government was paying to him or her. Citing an example, he said talented youngsters often refused to join a government department in grade 17 when they were told that their salary would be Rs20,000 per month, without realising that their take home salary might be more than Rs50,000 a month.

Dr Hussain said the commission had opposed the way the policy called ‘monetisation of transport facility’ was implemented.

“A good idea (monetisation of transport) was botched up during the implementation phase,” he said.

Under the policy as implemented by the government, the authorities were not just giving away huge cash compensations but vehicles as well. “That is absolutely wrong,” said the former governor of State Bank.

The pay commission had recommended that the practice of giving vehicles to civil servants should be done away with, he said.

The revised pay structures would be applicable neither to personnel of the armed forces nor to members of the judiciary, a source said.

The government wanted to introduce the revised structure with effect from Jan 1, 2013, to send a positive signal to the bureaucrats before the elections.

The commission has noted that in secretariats of the president and prime minister the salaries are often 200 per cent greater than other departments, due to special allowances paid to officials working there. This not only causes anxiety but also encourages ‘political hobnobbing’.

The commission has directed the regulation wing of the finance ministry and provincial governments to design salary packages in a manner so that distortion in salaries is removed. They have been asked to submit their reports within three weeks for consideration of the commission during its next meeting.

Sources said that during the meeting Dr Hussain criticised the government for allowing greater enhancements in the salaries than what was recommended earlier by the commission. This served to erode the government’s fiscal space and create fiscal imbalances.

He was also worried over non-implementation of his recommendations regarding creation of special service structures for health, education and police cadres and demanded that all previous recommendations be acted upon by the government.

Source: [URL="http://dawn.com/2012/10/20/pay-commission-calls-for-doing-away-with-salary-distortions/"]Dawn, 20 October 2012[/URL]

Disparity in pay scales: Civil servants must wait for pay raise
 

[B][CENTER]Disparity in pay scales: Civil servants must wait for pay raise

Shahbaz Rana[/CENTER][/B]

ISLAMABAD:
As pressure mounts on the government to bring an end to discriminatory practices, the Pay Committee has decided to keep the pay scales of civil servants unchanged while vowing to address genuine concerns of the employees without putting additional strain on the exchequer.
Headed by former State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr Ishrat Husain, the committee decided on Friday that in its efforts to remove disparity in salaries, it will adopt a path that will have no implications for the budget.
The government constituted the committee to rationalise or bring maximum possible equality in the salaries of employees working in equal basic pay scales in various government departments. At present, employees of some of the government departments are getting more than the normal pay of civil servants.
Few of these departments are the Presidency, Prime Minister Secretariat, Federal Board of Revenue, judiciary, armed forces, National Highway and Motorway Police, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, National Accountability Bureau and PM’s Security.
The employees of the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) have given a deadline to the government either to increase their salaries or withdraw the raise given to other departments. The budget constraints have forced the finance ministry to undertake an assessment before taking any decision.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Ministry of Finance spokesman Rana Assad Amin said the Pay Committee discussed three options, which were on table. It reviewed the possibility of equalising salaries of all employees by increasing the pay of comparatively less-paid people. However, this option will put a huge burden on the national exchequer and is likely to be dropped at the end of the day.
The committee also discussed the possibility of equalising salaries by decreasing the pay of the privileged club and increasing the pay of those who are being paid less.
The last option was to merge the four ad hoc allowances in the salaries of those employees who are comparatively paid less. This option is likely to be picked up as it will not have an immediate impact on the budget, but will increase the pension bill in coming years.
In the next meeting, likely to be held after Eid, the regulations wing of the finance ministry will present implications of each option for the budget.
Amin said the committee decided that in the first phase only the salaries of civil servants will be rationalised and pay scales of the judiciary and armed forces will be considered in the second phase.
According to calculations of the finance ministry, a grade 22 civil servant is normally getting monthly salary of Rs122,936. The same official, if working in ERRA, will get Rs154,117, in FBR his salary will be Rs187,286, in Presidency and Prime Minister Secretariat Rs170,747 and in NAB Rs154,117.
The grade 22 officer of the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court, Federal Shariat Court and the law ministry will get the highest salary of Rs234,685. In ISI, the grade 22 officer is getting Rs149,961 and a lieutenant general of the army will get Rs140,148.
Similarly, a grade 1 employee of a civil department will get Rs15,305 per month, in FBR the amount goes up to Rs22,003, in ERRA Rs18,193, in Presidency and PM Secretariat Rs20,273, in NAB Rs18,408, in NHA Rs29,001, in Model Traffic Police Rs29,433, in Eagle Force Rs19,625, in PM Security Rs20,921, in ISI Rs18,113 and in armed forces Rs19,452. The judiciary’s grade 1 employee is getting Rs32,686.
The finance ministry’s spokesman said the committee also decided to consult all the provinces before taking a final decision. It also decided to implement the remaining recommendations of the Pay and Pension Commission of 2009. These recommendations include monetisation of housing rent.


[URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/454035/disparity-in-pay-scales-civil-servants-must-wait-for-pay-raise/"]Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2012.[/URL]

Bureaucracy :civil servants get 2 year extension in service.
 

[B]Bureaucracy :civil servants get 2 year extension in service.

ISLAMABAD / MULTAN: [/B] [B]In a move that will benefit hundreds of bureaucrats across the country, the federal government has announced a two-year increase in the retirement age of all civil servants.[/B]

The decision will be implemented from November 1, 2012.
The change has been made through a presidential approval by amending the Civil Services Act 1973, instead of the usual parliamentary amendment.
According to a notification issued by the establishment division, civil servants would now retire a day before their 62nd birthday. Earlier the retirement age was 60 years.
“In pursuance to the recommendation of the Civil Services Reforms Committee, the president has been pleased to approve the following amendment in the Civil Services Act, 1973, which shall come into force w.e.f 01-11-2012 and shall apply to all regular civil employees: The age of retirement for a government employee shall henceforth be the last day of 62nd years counting from the date of birth,” reads the notification issued by the establishment division.
Earlier, there was a proposal to increase the retirement age limit from 60 to 63 for men and from 55 to 60 years for women civil servants. It is not clear why this proposal was dropped and why parliament was by-passed and a presidential nod was sought for implementing the move.
Since many key federal secretaries were about to retire in the next few months, the move would have political and financial benefits for the incumbent PPP government which is scheduled to go for the general elections early next year, according to sources.
Finance Secretary Abdul Wajid Rana was scheduled to retire on November 5, while Muhammad Javed Malick, secretary for the planning and development division, was to reach the age of superannuation on January 6, 2013. There are a number of other federal secretaries and Grade 22 officers of different departments who would have retired in the coming year.
The government claims that by increasing the age of retirement it would not only benefit from these experienced officials but would also save millions of rupees that it would have to give them as retirement benefits besides pensions.
Other federal secretaries, as well as Grade 22 officers who would have retired in the current fiscal year include: Khushood Akhtar Lashary on March 10, 2013, Zafar Mehmood in grade 22 on April 30, 2013, Qamar Zaman on December 5, 2013, Javed Iqbal on August 1, 2013, Muhammad Abbas on December 20, 2013, Raja Muhammad Ikramul Haq on December 2, 2012, Anisul Hassan Musvi on November 3, 2012, Ghulam Dastagir Akhtar on March 23, 2013, Muhammad Javed Iqbal Awan on December 1, 2013, Muhammad Ayub Qazi on July 24, 2013, Khawaja Mohammad Siddique Akbar on July 23, 2013, Maj Haroon Rashid (retd) on November 28, 2012, Munawar Opel on April 22, 2013, Gul Mohammad Rind on October 10, 2013, Kamran Lashari on December 21, 2012, Shaighan Sharif Malick in September 2013, Amjad Nazir in September 2013, Anjum Bashir on January 23, 2013, Ziaudin on February 15, 2013, Khalid Khan Toru on December 2, 2012, Sheikh Muhammad Tahir on December 28, 2013 and Ghulam Bux Awan on August 5, 2013.
The government says its pension bill is going to explode by 2015 as bulk of the civil servants will touch their retirement age by that time.
According to a report, the bill of the civil servants’ pension will double from Rs25billion to Rs50 billion over the next five years as bulk of the employees came into the fold of service after 1985.

[URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/458081/bureaucracy-civil-servants-get-2-year-extension-in-service/"][I]Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2012.[/I][/URL]

‘Army quota in CSS’
 

[B][CENTER]‘Army quota in CSS’
[/CENTER][/B]
THIS is apropos of the letter ‘Army quota in CSS’ (Oct 19) by Imtiaz Awan. The writer has rightly pointed out that there should be no quota for army officers in the Central Superior Service because the army officers are directly inducted into CSS without appearing in the CSS examinations.

In a way, the army officers short circuit and bypass the all-important written examination comprising of 11 or 12 full-fledged papers. I wonder which wise man introduced this system because Pakistan Army inherited it from the British Army.

The 10 per cent quota in the Indian Civil Service existed even during the days of the British Army. The Pakistan Army actually wastes out the good army officers who go through two years of rigorous training at the Pakistan Military Academy followed by six-month course in School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta. Then they go to their respective arms schools such as school of armour, artillery, etc., for approximately six months. During the middle of their career they are put through various useful courses and groomed for a future in the army.

In the meanwhile, they are attached with a unit in Siachen glacier for one to two years. When after seven to eights years of service they mature into a hardened and experienced officer, instead of army fully benefiting from them, they are suddenly transferred to civil service.

What a loss to the army. All above mentioned training/grooming comes to a naught. So the army should never ever allow their young officers to opt for a civilian job. The induction of the army officers into civil service only becomes a source of heartburn besides being a great loss to the army. In the Ingle Hall at the PMA, Kakul, it is inscribed ‘my country comes first, my duty second, I come last of all.’

SAFIR A. SIDDIQUI
Karachi

[URL="http://dawn.com/2012/11/01/army-quota-in-css-3/"]Dawn[/URL]

Equal perks for civil officers
 

[B][SIZE=3]Equal perks for civil officers[/SIZE][/B]


[B]ACCORDING to a news report, the Public Accounts Committee has advised the establishment division to revisit the policy of plot allotment to federal secretaries/BPS-22 officers on retirement.[/B]
It would be pertinent to mention here that a general or a lieutenant-general or an equal rank navy/air force officer not only gets a number of plots, houses, apartments during his/her tenure, but acres of (fertile) land along with tons of other privileges as well at the time of retirement.
However, the PAC, not even in its dreams, would ever dare to confer the same advice to the ministry of defence/GHQ. Or, would it? If the PAC cannot, then it also does not have any legal and moral obligation to bash civil service officers.
Also, I would request the Chief Justice to take suo motu notice of the existence of such anomalies of pre-and post-retirement perks between civilian and armed forces officers.
I request him to ensure that either award the same privileges to civil officers or bring armed forces officers’ perks at par with their civilian counterparts.
[I]S.S.F. QURESHI
Islamabad[/I]
[I][URL="http://dawn.com/2012/11/07/equal-perks-for-civil-officers/"]Dawn[/URL]
[/I]