The federal government has promoted 47 officers to Grade 22, marking a major bureaucratic reshuffle after a two-year delay.
The promotions were approved in two phases by the High Powered Selection Board (HPSB), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, during meetings held on March 5 and March 10.
According to the Establishment Division, 36 officers were promoted on March 5, while an additional 11 officers were elevated on March 10. However, promotions of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers were not considered due to a stay order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Among the 11 officers promoted on March 10, MD PTV and Secretary Information Ambrin Jan was elevated from the Information Group, while Zahoor Ahmed, Dr. Nawaz Ahmed, Ayesha Humaira Chaudhry, Hammad Shamimi, and Muhammad Aslam Ghauri were promoted in the Secretariat Group. Other newly promoted officers include Shahzad Hassan and Ammar Naqvi (Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service), Samiullah Khan (Postal Group), Syed Mazhar Ali Shah (Railways), and Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed (Economist Group).
In the first phase on March 5, the HPSB approved the promotion of 19 officers from the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) to Grade 22. The key officers promoted include Wasim Ajmal Chaudhry (Secretary National Food Security), Ambrain Raza (Additional Secretary Science and Technology), Ali Tahir (awaiting appointment), Usman Akhtar Bajwa (Secretary Privatization Commission), Muhammad Hameer Karim (Special Secretary Economic Affairs), Syed Atta-ur-Rehman (Additional Secretary Religious Affairs), and Musaddiq Ahmed Khan (Secretary Energy Sindh). Other notable names include Chairman FBR Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Secretary Petroleum Division Momin Agha, Secretary Health Nadeem Mehboob, and Secretary Education Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani.
Additionally, eight officers from the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) were promoted, including B.A. Nasir (Additional Secretary Ministry of Communications), Ghulam Nabi Memon (IG Police Sindh), Muhammad Farooq Mazhar (Additional IG Punjab), Imran Yaqub Minhas (Additional IG Sindh), and Abdul Khaliq Sheikh (awaiting appointment). Muhammad Zubair Hashmi, Muhammad Shahzad Sultan, and Rai Muhammad Tahir were also promoted.
The Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP) saw the promotion of nine officers, including Ahmed Naseem Warraich, Rahim Hayat Qureshi, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Syed Ahsan Raza Shah, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Nabeel Munir, Saqlain Syedan, and Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan.
The HPSB meeting was attended by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister for Establishment Ahad Cheema, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal, and Secretary Establishment Division Inamullah Khan Dharejo. Notably, this was the first HPSB meeting not chaired by the Prime Minister but instead by a minister nominated by the PM.
Despite the extensive promotions, 13 PAS officers who were in contention for Grade 22 were not elevated. This includes Sajid Baloch (Secretary Science and Technology), Amna Imran Khan, Usman Chachar, Iram Bukhari, Asad Islam Mahni, Capt. (retd) Syed Waqar-ul-Hassan, Mujtaba Paracha, Capt. (retd) Mahmood, Jawdat Ayaz, Capt. (retd) Asif, Tariq Waqar Bakshi, Ahsan Ali Mangi, and Hassan Mahmood Yousafzai.
The latest promotions are expected to have a significant impact on federal administration, ensuring senior bureaucratic positions are fully staffed after prolonged delays.
Reporter: Babar Shahzad Turk