ISLAMABAD: The Punjab prosecution has rejected the examination by a provincial body for assessment of prosecutors.

The Centre for Professional Deve­lopment of Public Prosecutors (CPD) had proposed a “test run of new syllabus, Training Need Assessment (TNA), and grading” to the secretary of the Public Prosecution Department (PPD).

In a letter, dated May 10, a schedule was issued for these examinations, including written tests and interviews.

The examinations for all prosecutors in Punjab were scheduled for May 27, covering assistant district public prosecutors, deputy district public prosecutors, district public prosecutors, and additional prosecutors general.

The letter specified that the subject examinations would be conducted based on seniority lists provided by the PPD and overseen by an examination committee comprising eminent senior lawyers to ensure transparency.

Prosecutor General Punjab, Farhad Ali Shah, however, stated that the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service Inspectorate has been established to evaluate prosecutorial work across Punjab and recommend areas for capacity building to ensure efficient and effective prosecution services.

The letter further stated that “all officers/prosecutors are inducted into service through a competitive exam conducted by the constitutional body, namely Punjab Public Service Commission, on the recommendation of PPD” adding “there is no margin to undermine the grading/seniority of incumbent prosecutors...”.

The prosecutor general (PG) reminded the CPD that “there are no laws, rules, or practices in any department/service for grading officers in Punjab. In the absence of a service structure and rules for the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service, such exams have no justification”.

A senior prosecutor from Punjab, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that practical work in courts differs from the bookish information.

He said that after decades of serving in the prosecution department and handling hundreds of criminal cases, a prosecutor may not even remember the contents of the subjects he studied at the time of enrolment.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2024