ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Alliance News): Pakistan’s civil bureaucracy has seen a sharp rise in deferments and performance monitoring under a revised promotion mechanism aimed at enforcing accountability within elite groups such as the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), and Office Management Group (OMG).
According to official data, between 2020 and 2024, only 481 out of 2,270 officers considered by Departmental Selection Boards (DSBs) were promoted — a mere 21%. Around 80 officers (4%) were placed under Performance Watch for improvement, while 33 officers (1.5%) were superseded over serious performance or conduct issues.
Officials from the Establishment Division say this institutional shift is designed to ensure that only those officers meeting stringent standards of professionalism, integrity, and service commitment advance in their careers. “This is part of a broader accountability framework to uphold good governance,” a senior official told Alliance News.
Deferments are being applied to officers with issues such as inaccessibility to the public, poor work habits, questionable integrity, or disregard for official postings. Supersession is reserved for more severe cases — such as financial misconduct, corruption, or rude behavior towards citizens.
The Civil Servants Promotion Rules, 2019 were significantly amended to support this merit-based model. A new clause states that officers superseded twice in their current grade will no longer be eligible for future promotions. Officials said this change institutionalizes accountability and restricts repeated underperformance.
Before 2022, promotions were often granted based on seniority with limited scrutiny. In 2019, for instance, none of the 434 officers considered for promotion underwent performance scrutiny, despite 220 being promoted. That changed in 2023 when the Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) began enforcing structured checks on officer conduct and competence.
“The objective is to ensure that promotion is not a right but a responsibility — granted only to those who meet high standards of ethics and performance,” the source added.
The new model, built around Performance Watch and accountability, is seen as a key reform in aligning public sector leadership with national development goals and improved governance standards.
