ISLAMABAD: Section officers from various ministries have challenged a summary prepared and notiñed in the absence of the prime minister in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding inductions in the Of fice Management Group (OMG), which has changed the structure of the civil service.

The prime minister travelled to the UK for treatment on May 22 and came back on July 9. On June 15, Fawad Hassan, secretary to the prime minister signed a summary for inductions in the OMG from departments of federal and provincial governments.

According to the procedure laid down in 2010, inductions in the OMG is made through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), government officials worl(ing in the lower grades can also join OMG after passing an FPSC exam and a 10pc quota is reserved for those officers who were recruited through FPSC or Provincial Public Service Commission on different posts. Under the said quota, inductions are made via deputation or though posting and transferring officers.

However, the summary notified onJune 15 `relaxed` the induction criteria so that in addition to those officials who joined the federal or provincial government though the Public Service Commissions, those directly appointed in government departments may also become part of the Office Management Group.

The notification reads: `The federal and provincial civil servants in BS-17 and BS-18 with at least three years continuous service, cumulatively in the federal secretariat, prime minister`s office, President House, Office of Wafagi Mohtasib (federal ombudsman), Senate Secretariat and Nation Assembly Secretariat...will be considered for appointment by transfer / induction in OMG.

Eight section officers from the ministries of interior, water and power, planning and development, religious affairs, ports and shipping and economic affairs division alleged that Secretary Establishment Syed Tahir Shahbaz and Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad paved way for `appointment by transfer against [the] 10pc quota of those employees who do not fulfil the basic criteria of appointment, i.e. inducted through FPSC or the provincial Public Service Commission as required and settled in the summaries dates June15, 2010`.

The petitioners claimed that the act of the respondents was against the dictum laid down by various judgments of the Supreme Court.

One of the petitioners told Dawn that the notification also enabled clerical staff in joining the OMG.

He said that a lower division cleric in BPS 5 may become an OMG of ficer after consecutive promotions and up-gradations, hence the officers who pass the Federal Public Service Commission exams will be deprived of their due share in the civil service.

He said staff for the Prime Minister`s Office, presidency, Senate, National Assembly and the Ombudsmen Secretariats is not recruited through the public service commission and that their positions are Elled in accordance to their own recruitment criteria.

These are powerful offices and there are more chances of their selection in the OMG under the 10pc quota compared to those eligible officials selected through public service commissions working in different ministries or divisions.

IHC Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the petition on Thursday.