ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has ordered the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to revert Abu Bakar from the post of Superintendent in Grade 16 to Lower Division Clerk in Grade 9 after an inquiry found that his appointment as Assistant in Grade 14 did not meet the prescribed criteria.
According to a ministry notification issued on March 21, 2024, the Fact Finding Inquiry Committee examined the record of Abu Bakar’s appointment and found that the required criteria had not been fulfilled. The ministry directed that Abu Bakar be brought back from Grade 16 Superintendent to Grade 9 Lower Division Clerk and that all benefits received under the disputed arrangement be recovered.
The ministry also directed the Executive Director of PIMS to take all necessary steps for implementation of the decision in accordance with the applicable rules. The notification was issued with the approval of the Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, and was signed by Section Officer Syed Hassan Mehmood.
The matter related to the direct promotion quota and roster maintained by the Promotion Cell at PIMS. The inquiry reviewed how Abu Bakar was initially appointed as Assistant in Grade 14 and later reached the position of Superintendent in Grade 16. The ministry order stated that the appointment record did not meet the required criteria.
The issue remained pending for follow-up after the March order. In a letter dated May 6, 2024, the Ministry of National Health Services stated that the compliance report on its earlier instructions had still not been received from PIMS.
The ministry, therefore, directed the Executive Director of PIMS to submit the compliance report without any further delay. The letter was issued with the approval of the Secretary of the ministry and was signed by Section Officer Muhammad Bilal Khan.
A separate record included in the documents also mentions the promotion cases of five Assistant employees: Mehr Ghulam Yasin, Hashmat Khan, Munir Hussain, Muhammad Shahid Bhatti and Abu Bakar.
According to the document, the cases of these employees for promotion to Superintendent were examined, and they had been adjusted against a vacant Charge Nurse post for promotion and pay purposes. The record states that this arrangement was not permissible because Charge Nurse and Superintendent are separate cadres.
The same document states that an Assistant can be considered for promotion against an anticipatory Superintendent position within the required period under the applicable procedure. However, the promotion is to take effect from the date when a clear vacant Superintendent position becomes available.
The documents show that questions had been raised over the manner in which Assistant employees were being adjusted for promotion and how their pay was being calculated. The record particularly points to the use of a Charge Nurse vacancy for Superintendent-related promotion and pay arrangements as a problem.
The ministry’s March order specifically focused on Abu Bakar and directed his return from Grade 16 Superintendent to Grade 9 Lower Division Clerk, along with recovery of benefits. The subsequent May communication shows that the ministry was still awaiting confirmation from PIMS that the instructions had been implemented.
The available documents do not provide full details of the inquiry committee’s proceedings or confirm when the recovery of benefits was completed. They do, however, show that the ministry ordered the changes and later sought a formal compliance report from PIMS.
The matter highlights the importance of following the approved promotion quota, staff roster, cadre structure and vacancy requirements while moving employees to higher positions. The documents also show that the government examined whether promotion and pay arrangements at a major public hospital were being made under the prescribed procedure.
Read in Urdu: پمز میں ابو بکر کو گریڈ 16 سے گریڈ 9 پر واپس لانے کا حکم
