ISLAMABAD - Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division Monday put question mark over the credibility of Central Selection Board [CSB] and its recommendations for promotion of more than 200 officers from Grade 20 and 21.
The standing committee held detailed discussion and sought minutes of the CSB board meetings regarding the promotions. Headed by Senator Talha Mahmood from the JUI-F, the meeting took place at parliament house while Senator Saeed Ghani, Senator Saif Ullah Bangash, Senator Kamal Ali Agha, Senator Hadayat Ullah, Senator Najma Hamee, Senator Muhammad Yousuf Badani and Senator Kalsoom Perveen were attended the meeting. The chairman said the Establishment Division had ignored the committee instructions and did not provide required documents regarding recent promotions of officers to committee. He said the Establishment Division had only provided irrelevant CSB record. He asked the Establishment Division to inform committee under which criteria CSB rejected the cases of several deserving officers. “The CSB only promoted blue-eyed officers to grade 20 and 21 irrespective of the fact that they did not fulfill the required criteria,” he added. Secretary Establishment Division Nadeem Hassan Asif briefed the committee that division had provided details of CSB to committee and it did not hide any facts. He said that CSB briefly previewed the cases of all officers in five days marathon CSB sessions. He said that CSB only promoted deserving officers without any discrimination. The chairman committee reveled during hearing that CSB promoted an officer who was accused in several cases and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered Rs6.05 million from him during investigation. He asked the Secretary Establishment Division that how the CSB could review hundreds cases in five days. Secretary Establishment Division replied that CSB reviewed cases of officers of different groups in detail but it took only few seconds in cases of Ministry of CAAD officials. Committee members also showed strong reservations over CBS recommendations for promotions of more than 200 officers of different groups. Senator Kamal Ali Agha disclosed that CSB violated the merit and refused the cases of promotions of few officers who were working with previous governments on key posts. He said that CSB promoted the joint secretary to Prime Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad who had not attended the training course for promotion to next grade but CSB recommended his name for promotion. Senator Saif Ullah Bangash also criticised board decisions and mentioned that PM appointed the Nadeem Hassan Asif as Secretary Establishment Division for bringing betterment in division’s matters but he has failed to bring revolution in department. Chairman Committee expressed concerns over the CSB recommendations and ordered the Secretary Establishment Division to submit the meeting minutes of CSB in next meeting.