ISLAMABAD: Honnak Baloch, a Pakistan Customs Service officer of BS-18, presently posted as Deputy Director, Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-FBR, Gwadar, has been censured over misconduct.
The disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the officer on account of his misdemeanour during an official training held in Korea, constituting ‘misconduct’ under Rule 3(b) of the Government Servants (E&D) Rules, 1973.
The accused officer was placed under suspension, while Muhammad Saleem, the then Collector MCC Appraisement (West) Karachi, was appointed as inquiry officer.
According to the inquiry report, the charges levelled against the accused officer could not be established. The authorised officer/Member Admn, however, not being satisfied with the inquiry report quashed the same and ordered de-novo inquiry into the case after approval of the FBR chairman.
Muhammad Zahid, Chief Collector Customs (BS-21) (Enforcement) South, was appointed as inquiry officer to conduct the de-novo inquiry. The inquiry officer furnished report to the authorized officer. The inquiry report concluded that the charges and allegations contained in the charge sheet/statement of allegations could not be established against the accused officer.
The authorised officer/Member (Admn), however, again did not agree with the findings of the de-novo inquiry report to the extent of the charges/allegations mentioned at S.No. 4(2) of the Charge Sheet and para B of the Statement of Allegations and issued show-cause notice vide C.No. 2(6)/2004-M-II(Cus-II) dated 13.04.2016 to the accused officer.
The authorised officer after having gone through the case record, written reply and verbal submissions found the accused officer guilty of “misconduct” to the extent that he returned to Pakistan on 22nd October, 2014 without qualifying/completing the official training held in Korea and failed to inform his superiors or FBR (HQs) about his early return and non-completion of the course.
The authorised officer, while taking a lenient view, imposed a minor penalty of “censure” upon Honnak Baloch under Rule 4(1)(a)(i) of the Government Servant (E&D) Rules, 1973. The accused officer was reinstated into service by the competent authority vide FBR’s Notification No. 2968-C-II/2015 dated 17-12-2015.
The period during which Honnak Baloch remained under suspension, with effect from November 14, 2014 to December 17, 2015, will be treated as leave of kind due and admissible to him. The officer will have right of appeal to the Appellate Authority as provided under the Civil Servants (Appeals) Rules, 1977.
