ISLAMABAD: Dozens of blue-eyed employees have been promoted in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), while ignoring the principle of seniority, which is causing uncertainty and chaos among those employees who deserved to be promoted on merit and as per the existing seniority list.
Despite restoration of PIMS’ status as health ministry’s attached department by the federal government after revoking the Board of Governors (BoG) set-up on January 3,2023, the PIMS administration is illegally promoting its blue-eyed employees from previous dates when it was an autonomous body under a set-up of BoG.
Imran Khan’s government through “Federal Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Bill 2021” had made the PIMS an autonomous body. However, the incumbent coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, repealed the autonomous body set up of PIMS on January 3,2023 and made it an attached department of the health ministry.
According to documents available, many employees who deserved promotions in accordance with the existing seniority list and rules, have been denied their promotions, whereas many other employees have been promoted keeping aside the seniority list and the laid down promotion criteria and rules.
The PIMS administration issued an official latter on January 12,2023, in which it referred to the recommendations of a meeting of the ‘Departmental Promotion Committee’ held on January 3,2023, and promoted five Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) BPS-9 to Upper Division Clerks (UDCs) in BPS-11 w.e.f January 3, 2023.
The promotions have been made with the approval of Hospital Director Dr Khalid Masood, despite the fact that the said Director, who was serving on contract basis, was not serving in the hospital at that time. The promotion committee which made promotions on January 3,2023, stood dissolved on December 20,2022.
Interestingly, one of the LDC Tahir Nadeem, who was promoted as UDC on January 3,2023, has been assigned the current charge of Assistant Director, and his name plate has been displayed on the door of his office, despite the rules do not allow a UDC to be assigned the current charge of an Assistant Director. Assigning the charge of an Assistant Director to a UDC clearly indicates that rules are being violated in PIMS and nepotism and corrupt practices are on the peak.
On the final seniority list Tahir Nadeem stands at No. 35 and his promotion clearly indicates that 34 LDCs have been deprived from their legitimate right of promotion.
The final seniority list carries total number of 111 LDCs. From serial no 1 to 19 promotions had already been made.
The promotions made to UDCs posts on January 3,2023, were made from serial no 19 to 35 which is a classic example of pick and choose.
When contacted PIMS executive director Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Malik for comments over the promotions, he declined to comment.
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