Setting aside all the rules and regulations, the Sindh Local Government Department posted a Grade-17 official on Grade-19 post without going through formal process and approval, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Although there are clear court instructions on the subject to avoid such actions, the department also didn’t even bother to get necessary approval from the chief minister and the chief secretary.

Hence, the department issued an illegal notification this regard to announce the posting of Grade-17 section officer as Director-I Sindh Local Government Board.

Legally speaking, it is only the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department authorised to issue notify the posting on this Grade-19 slot. However, it has no knowledge about the decision taken by the Local Government Department.

This action is certainly atrocious to say the least, but the practice to rewarding the favourite juniors isn’t limited to Sindh.

In an earlier story published on September 28, 24NewsHD had revealed that junior officials were posted as deputy commissioners in 18 out of 36 districts in Punjab, a figure that negates the very claims made by the ruling party about merit, transparency and making the institutions strong.

Thus the bureaucrats in Grade-18 are managing these districts. It also means that the Grade-20 officials of departments like health and education have to deal with these juniors as bosses.

Hence, this trend has generated an administrative crisis as it is a clear violation of the related rules and regulations. Hence, senior education and health officials have serious reservations over working under these juniors.

It is a clear expression of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s attempt to reward the bureaucrats from the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) – formerly and commonly known as the DMG (District Management Group) – thus leaving the senior officials of other departments at the mercy of juniors.

To start with Lahore which is the most important city in the province, a junior official Danish Afzal is occupying the Grade-20 post. His posting was a result of former chief secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar’s recommendation.

Details of the 18 districts having junior deputy commissioners from Grade-18 are given in the following:

Muhammad Asghar Joya (Kasur), Mansoor Ahmed Raja (Nankana Sahib), Usman Ali (Okara), Saif Anwer Jappa (Gujrat), Tariq Ali Basra (Mandi Bahauddin), Naveed Shehzad Mirza (Hafizabad), Rao Pervaiz Akhtar (Jhelum).

Abdullah Nayyer (Sargodha), Umer Sher Chattha (Mianwali), Syed Musa Raza (Bhakkar), Umer Javed (Toba Tek Singh), Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi (Khanewal), Babar Bashir (Sahiwal).

Waqas Rashid (Vehari), Ahmed Kamal Maan (Pakpattan), Ali Shehzad (Rahim Yar Khan), Tahir Farooq (DG Khan) and Muhammad Riaz (Chiniot).