- As per IHC verdict, DG holding look-after charge cann’t make policy decisions
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), which is already in hot water for various malpractices in the attached department, Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is going to hold departmental promotions soon in violation of set rules.
According to sources, the Director General of PSQCA, who is holding the acting charge/day to day affairs in absence of regular DG of the authority, has scheduled the meeting of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) on Friday, despite a court verdict in similar case of the ministry in which all recruitments made by a DG holding acting charge was made null and void.
MoST Additional Secretary Ataur Rehman, who holds look after charge as DG PSQCA, has asked all employees of the authority to submit their credentials for DPC to be held on Friday (today) for BS-19. Interestingly, the ministry has recently forwarded a panel of three names to cabinet for appointment as DG PSQCA but the existing DG seems in hurry to conduct the DPC before the new/regular head is appointed.
The promotions, as per documents, are being made for employees of BS-1-16 and BS-18 to 19 of PSQCA Regular Employees as per Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, Service Regulations, 2015 (SRO 419 (1)12015. On August 19, 2022, the DG PSQCA had issued an urgent letter to the Secretary and other departmental heads of the authority to annual confidential reports (ACRs)/ performance evaluation reports (PERs) of officials/employees working in their supervision.
Interestingly, the existing DG was given the look after charge for three months on December 21, 2021 initially for three months.
As per the decision of Islamabad High Court in a case of recruitment in Pakistan Halal Authority in 2020, the Director General PHA holding the said office on look-after charge basis had made recruitments. In the Establishment Division’s office memorandum No.8/312020-R-3, dated 20.03.2020 on the subject of “exercise of administrative / financial powers while holding look after charge” it was explained that the look-after charge had not been defined in the Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973, and that it is a temporary stopgap arrangement to cater for the day to day affairs of the organization on honorary basis. It was also explained that the officers entrusted with look-after charge are not empowered to take policy decisions. It was also clarified that appointments and promotions do not fall in the category of day to day business of the organization and therefore the head of an organization entrusted with look-after charge cannot chair the meeting of a Departmental Promotion Committee or a Departmental Selection Committee and make recommendations as a Chairman of such committees. Since the Director General, P.H.A. who was holding the said post on look-after charge basis had chaired the Departmental Selection Committee and had also made recommendations for making appointments, this was contrary to the administrative instructions or policy contained in the said office memorandum No.81312020-R-3, dated 20.03.2020.
According to an official of the ministry, since the PHA is also an attached department of MoST, the DG holding look-after charges of another attached department, PSQCA also cannot hold the DPC or make any policy decision.
Apart from the court’s verdict and rules set by the Establishment Division, there were also technical and legal issues linked with the promotion process of PSQCA which, according to officials, could be challenged in courts.
The Secretary MOST, when contacted, did not reply to queries shared with him regarding the scheduled DPC of PSQCA.
