ISLAMABAD: As a large number of officers from down country are presently holding key administrative positions in Gilgit Baltistan, the local officers have started feeling “marginalized”, seeing violation of vacancy sharing formula with the center.
In an interesting development, a group of local civil service men have come out to show their concerns that they are not being given due position in administrative slots of GB where most of them are held/ occupied by those posted from the center or other provinces.
The Gilgit Baltistan Civil Service Association (GBCSA), a representative body of the local officers, submitted a petition to GB Chief Minister Muhammad Khalid Khurshid to “remove the discriminatory clause” from GB Rules of Business. The clause reserves the exclusive right of Federal officers on slots of Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Secretary Home, and Secretary Finance, which has no precedent in any other province.
The GBCSA has claimed that a large number of officers from outside Gilgit-Baltistan are occupying key administrative positions, in violation of the vacancy sharing formula with the center. This has led to a sense of discrimination and frustration among local officers who feel that they are being restricted to remote areas with limited chances for progression and exposure.
According to the GBCSA, officers from down country are occupying at least seven Assistant Commissioner positions (PAS officers/BS-17), three Deputy Commissioner positions (BS-18), and one Commissioner position (BS-19/20) in excess while depriving local officers of such positions. Out of the 10 districts in Gilgit-Baltistan, only two Assistant Commissioners from the local service are posted in headquarters, while eight headquarters slots are held by federal officers. Furthermore, out of 23 subdivisions, 11 are occupied by federal officers.
The GBCSA has also demanded that the vacancy sharing formula ratios must be ensured while posting PAS & DMS officers in BS-17, 18, and 19/20 against active field positions of Assistant Commissioners in Sub Divisions/Tehsils, Deputy Commissioners in districts, and Commissioners in the division/s.
In addition, the GBCSA has demanded that the tenure protection of at least two years on each posting must be ensured while discontinuing the practice of making frequent and premature postings of local officers. The association has claimed that the posts of Deputy Commissioner Gilgit and Deputy Commissioner Skardu have practically been reserved for federal officers, and no local officer has been posted against these positions of Divisional Headquarters for quite some time.
The association is of the view that in districts where the Deputy Commissioner is from the Federal services, the Assistant Commissioner may be placed from provincial service, and vice versa in district headquarters. Furthermore, the GBCSA has demanded that for posting against the post of B5-20, it should be made mandatory that the officer/s should have served at least for two years in BS-19.
The GBCSA has also claimed that many intruders have managed their way onto different posts and portfolios through breach of rules and procedure, hence all such appointments may be undone through a policy decision by the cabinet, and all such individuals be repatriated to their parent departments.
Apart from the reservations shown regarding postings of outsiders on key positions, the association has also demanded that local officers be posted in federal government departments/ministries to gain more experience and excellence. The government of Gilgit-Baltistan may also launch a project with the specific objectives of providing foreign exposure and training to the cadre officers of the Gilgit-Baltistan government, on the pattern of Punjab and Sindh.
The concerns raised by the GBCSA have highlighted the issues related to the deprivation that Gilgit-Baltistan faces as a region that is constitutionally disputed. Gilgit-Baltistan, under the existing rule/position, is neither a province nor an independent entity like AJK, for being linked with the longstanding dispute of Kashmir. Therefore, the GBCSA has urged the government to take immediate steps to address the concerns of local officers and ensure that they are not discriminated against in matters of postings and transfers.
