Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected pressure from politicians and bureaucrats to create exceptions in the “rotation” policy, also known as “inter-provincial transfer” policy, for influential civil servants who are reluctant to leave their choice regions of posting.
However, following the provincial governments’ objection, a change has been made in the policy for the inclusion of provinces in the consultation process for policy’s implementation.
A close aide to the prime minister says that so far more than 90% of the transfer orders have been implemented, while others are under the process of implementation and a few have been held in abeyance because of court orders.
The source said that not even a single transfer order has been cancelled.
It is added that the government is now working on second phase of transfers, under which senior police officers will be reshuffled between the provinces and the Centre.
During the last few weeks, the prime minister as well as establishment secretary have been under pressure to ignore the policy for the benefit of influential bureaucrats.
However, despite the pressure, including from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the prime minister backed the establishment secretary to implement the policy without exception.
Within first fortnight of assuming office, Khan amended the rotation policy for civil servants and directed the Establishment Division to implement the policy in letter and spirit without exception.
The policy amended by Khan included a new clause which reads: “PAS/PSP (Pakistan Administrative Service/Police Service of Pakistan) officers of Grade 21 and below who have served in any provincial government or federal government for a continuous period of not less than 10 years may be transferred to the federal government or other provinces, as the case may be, in the public interest.
“The period spent on earned leave/study leave//training/deputation/foreign posting shall be excluded for the purpose of computing continuous period of 10 years, and will not be treated as a break.”
Under this policy, the Establishment Division, in the first phase, issued notifications for the transfer of dozens of senior grade 20 and 21 PAS officers, and rotated them between the provinces and the Centre.
Most of these officers joined their new posting regions, but there were some officers who were reluctant to leave their choice regions/provinces.
There are officers who exerted pressure – through provincial governments, senior bureaucrats, politicians and other influential quarters – on the prime minister as well as the Establishment Division to exempt them from the rotation policy.
It is understood that if such pressures succeed in creating exceptions in the rotation policy, it would lead to the total collapse of the policy, as has happened in the past.
NO EXCEPTIONS: Prime Minister Khan resisted pressure from politicians and bureaucrats to back the Establishment Division in the implementation of the ‘rotation’ policy.
