Centre responds to Sindh's objections over rotation policy

• Centre says Sindh was consulted thrice over transfers of officials who have been posted at the same station for 10 years.
• Says Sindh government didn't comply with the orders or respond to the consultations held.
• Directs Sindh to relieve the selected PAS and PSP officials immediately so that they can join their duty where they have been posted.

The federal government on Sunday sent a reply to the government of Sindh over objections raised by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on the transfer of Grade-20 officials of the province under the government's rotation policy.

The Sindh government, in response to an order for the transfer of senior police officers from the province under the Centre's rotation policy, had written a letter to the Establishment Division to review the decision, saying the provincial government was not consulted as per the prescribed law before issuing the order, The News reported Wednesday.

Today, a letter issued by the Centre to the provincial government states that the Sindh chief secretary was consulted thrice over step-by-step transfers of officials who have been posted at the same station for 10 years.

"All the provinces acted accordingly but the Sindh government neither acted the same nor did it respond [to the consultations] like in the past," read the letter.

None of the provinces, except for Sindh, raised objections over the transfer of PSP and PAS's Grade-20 officials, it added.

The letter stated that during the second and third stages of consultations of the Establishment Division with the Sindh chief secretary and the provincial Services and General Administration Department, the lists of officials to be transferred were shared with the Sindh government.

The lists were also shared on the official website to ensure transparency, therefore non-compliance by the Sindh government is against the Civil Services Rules 1954, it said.

The letter directed the provincial government to relieve the selected PAS and PSP officials immediately so that they can join their duty where they have been posted.

It clarified that the Establishment Division is the administrative body for the transfers of PAS and PSP cadre officials' appointments and transfers.

Reports on Tuesday said that several officers of the DIG cadre have already been transferred under the rotation policy, and still they have requested more transfers despite the fact that in Sindh there is a shortfall of senior and experienced officers.

They said this time the federal cabinet had requested the transfers of those officers who were posted in key positions. 

Under the Centre's Rotation Policy, grade based lists will be made for the transfers and appointments of the the officials twice a year and the officials who have continuously served in the same province for 10 years will be posted to a different province.