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Transfer, posting of Sindh govt employees banned

By Razzak Abro

KARACHI: The Sindh government imposed a ban on transfers and postings of government employees of grade-1 to 21 for an indefinite period on Tuesday.

The move comes in the wake of the growing number of transfers and postings taking place in the province due to political pressure and interference.

The Provincial Services and General Administration Department has issued an official notification to all administrative departments and autonomous bodies in this regard.

They have been informed that any transfer or posting which they find necessary would only be made after the approval of the competent authority- the chief minister.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of the Services and General Administration, had imposed a similar ban more than a year back.

Official sources said the main reason behind the step was that secretaries of the administrative departments face extreme pressure from their concerned ministries and the ruling coalition parties in the matter of transfers and postings.

There were frequent transfer and postings of government officers under the recommendations of the concerned ministers and political leaders, and the bureaucracy was compelled to follow their orders.

In some cases, officers were transferred within a month or two after their posting.

The sources also cited the government’s attempt to restore its image as another reason for the imposition of the ban.

The Sindh chief minister and the central leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, including President Asif Ali Zardari, were tired of the ongoing situation and felt that the government’s efforts to maintain good governance were being adversely affected due to the frequent and political-based transfers and postings, the sources said.

The president had taken stern notice of the malpractices, and issued strict directives to the Sindh government, as well as the provincial leadership of the party to improve the government’s performance, and bring an end to such matters, which dent the image of the government.

It is pertinent to mention that after holding a meeting of parliamentarians from Sindh, the president has convened a meeting of the PPP leaders in the Karachi Coordination Committee to discuss the political situation, and to instruct them over how to improve their performance and repair the government’s image.

The sources said that some other steps are also in pipeline as part of the image-building drive, and a change in the portfolios of some provincial ministers is also on the cards.

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