Sir: Sometimes, I really fail to understand as to why the successive governments in Pakistan have focused more on the appointments/postings of the officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (previously known as District Management Group-DMG) on the very important positions of the country? So much so, they are also posted on purely technical posts, for which they possess zero technical knowledge and experience to run the affairs of that technical organization/department.
Yes, on the administrative posts and on the revenue posts in the towns, districts and the divisions (such as Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner), the officers of the PAS may prove useful and fit (for, they are meant and trained for such positions), but, their posting on the purely technical and tricky positions such as Chairman FBR, Secretary Finance, Secretary Law, Secretary Irrigation, Secretary Works and Services, Secretary Education, Secretary Health, Secretary Public Health Engineering, Chairman PIA /Railways/WAPDA/Pakistan Steel Mills/Sui Southern-Northern Gas Companies etc, doesn’t make sense at all. I say so because, the officers of the PAS don’t possess such technical knowledge, expertise and experience to smoothly run the affairs of these technical and other such departments. Yes, the officers of this cadre, more often than not, happen to be quick decision makers (which I think is a good quality) but, they don’t make right decisions all the time while remaining on these technical posts.
I think, it is high time for the federal and the respective provincial governments for appointing right man for the right job. If the trend goes like this, in future as well we will see the appointment of PAS officers as Inspector General of Police & the Auditor General of Pakistan (mandatorily these are to be appointed from Police Service of Pakistan & Audit & Accounts groups, respectively), on the pretext that the officers of that cadre (PAS) are more efficient than the ones from their actual cadres.
There are twelve occupational groups within the CSS Cadre and the officers of all these groups also reach till grade 21/22. But, the officers of only PAS are posted on almost all the major positions of the country by ignoring the equally (and even more) competent officers of rest of the occupational groups. The government of the day should seriously look into this phenomenon and do justice with the officers of all the occupational groups in giving them postings. This would minimize frustration from the officers of the rest of the occupational groups.
ABDUL SAMAD SAMO,
Karachi