PESHAWAR: Several officials of directorate of information and public relations have sent a letter to chief secretary against their recent transfers, requesting him to rescind the order.

They claimed that the transfer order violated established procedures and disrupted the operations and day-to-day affairs of the directorate.

Earlier on Wednesday, information department had notified transfers and postings of 18 officers and a BPS-15 official.

The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, alleged that the recent transfers and postings in the directorate were executed by information secretary without adhering to established procedures.

Secretary rejects allegations, saying it is a routine matter

“Traditionally, the head of an attached department, in this case, the director general is exclusively responsible for postings and transfers among various sections of the directorate. However, postings from one station to another, involving changes in salary, are carried out by the secretary of the relevant department in consultation with the head of the attached department as prescribed in the Appointment, Promotion and Transfer Rules, 1989,” said the letter.

Besides, it said that in the instant case, the transfers and postings in the directorate were carried out by an unauthorised individual, which undermined the competency of the director general. It also caused unrest among all field formations of the directorate across the province, it added.

The letter said that despite being head of the attached department and charged with responsibility of carrying all operations related to publicity of provincial government, no opinion, recommendation from the director general were sought either verbally or in in writing before transferring 18 of his officers throughout the province.

“A note in this regard has been moved by the director general of information to secretary,” it said.

The letter alleged that in recent transfers and postings, officers against whom inquiries were to be initiated and those with questionable reputations were posted to important positions without consulting director general.

“Most importantly, in severe violation of APT Rules 1989, none of the transferred officers has completed the required two years tenure on the current post,” it said.

The letter alleged that failure to comply with those rules suggested potential misconduct and reflected procedural lapses.

It said that information secretary also transferred a BPS-15 official, which was a matter typically under the jurisdiction of the head of the attached department. “This action may not only disregard established practices but also indicates potential interference by unauthorised individuals which undermines the authority of the DGIPR,” it said.

The secretary of information and public relations, Arshad Khan, when approached for comments, defended the transfers. He said that transfers and postings of official beyond BPS-16 had nothing to do with the director general and were entirely in the domain of secretary.

“It is a routine transfer and posting,” he said.

Besides, Mr Khan said that radio stations were set up in merged districts and officials for the same posts were regularised; however, they were sitting in Peshawar and Abbottabad, leaving the radio stations to lower staff.

Regarding the letter to the chief secretary, he said that it was violation of official discipline and would be dealt with accordingly.

Mr Khan said that he would perform his official duties, even if someone else did not do so.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024