ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) stayed the lifting of the stay order on promotions in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), paving the way for the powerful selection board to proceed with selecting eligible candidates for promotion to BS-22.
The petition was moved by Shah Bano Ghaznavi, an officer BS-21, who had come to court accompanied by her lawyer. The FBR, in the hearing, informed the court that it had made a notification on March 13 as a result of the petition.
Justice Khan, who was hearing the case, observed that as the process of promotion was still not completed, the court resolved to terminate the stay order. The decision permits the selection board to go ahead with their work and decide on the promotions.
Shah Bano Ghaznavi addressed the media after the hearing and elaborated that her case was not against the FBR chairman but against the Prime Minister’s Secretariat as well as the Secretary Establishment Division. She alleged that these authorities had not taken cognizance of her petition.
Ms. Ghaznavi also faulted the practice of using “active positions” to delay promotions. She argued that she was in such a position for seven years and then not promoted based on performance assessments. She said that most officers in Pakistan are subjected to similar delays in career advancement because of being retained in active posts.
Moreover, Ms. Ghaznavi complained about what she called a politically driven promotion process. She asserted that officers who do not fit into political agendas are frequently pushed aside, whereas others are promoted based on political allegiances.
She also claimed that OPS officers were operating key FBR operations while competent officers were being neglected. In her view, the system has been functioning on an ad hoc basis for the last 30 years, and if an officer initiates a court case to challenge the process, the officer is blamed for infringing upon others’ rights.
This ruling by the IHC is an important milestone in the contentious issue of FBR promotions and career growth for officers.
