The Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced the salient features of the Civil Services Reforms (CFR) today, which include the forced retirement of corrupt officers, even if they make a plea bargain with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or return the corrupt money.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, he said that in the past, corrupt officers were allowed to continue their jobs after surrendering the money they has swindled, or making a plea bargain with the NAB. “Such officers will not be allowed to work, and they will be retired,” Shafqat Mehmood said.
The minister said that once a government officer was inducted into the service, it was hard to dismiss them whether they worked or not. But from now on, the individuals who will have three average or below average Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) will be retired forcefully.
Additionlly, all officers to have reached Grade 21 and be denied promotion three times by the promotion board can be retired.
If there is a complaint against any officer, they will have to submit an answer to the inquiry committee within 14 days. The competent authority will have to decide the case in 60 days. The whole process will be concluded in 105 days.
After assuming office in August 2018, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan set up a task force to revamp the civil bureaucracy. The main idea of the reforms is to bring accountability to the system.
The Civil Service has seen many reforms in the past years and the incumbent government’s efforts will be another step to transform the service, ensuring that only the best officers who are dedicated the service reach the top slots.
