ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed the High-Powered Selection Board (HPSB) to conduct a fresh review of a retired civil servant’s promotion case, considering the possibility of a proforma promotion.
The court emphasized that a proforma promotion is not alien to the service structure and should be reviewed in line with Fundamental Rule 17 (FR 17). The ruling mandates that the HPSB give a fair and impartial assessment, taking into account all Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs) of the petitioner, Ghulam Qadir Thebo. The court instructed that the review be completed within two months from the issuance of the judgment.
Thebo, promoted to BS-21 in April 2013, was repeatedly overlooked for promotion to BS-22, despite his seniority. He was superseded three times without explanation. In meetings held in 2017, Thebo’s name appeared higher on the seniority list, yet junior officers were promoted instead. After exhausting internal representations, Thebo filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court in 2018, which was later dismissed in 2022.
The Supreme Court acknowledged that while promotion itself is not a right, employees should be fairly considered for promotion based on service rules and regulations. The court ruled that proforma promotion should be considered if an employee’s promotion was delayed due to administrative errors, and they had fulfilled the eligibility criteria.
This decision highlights the court’s recognition of proforma promotions as part of the civil service structure, especially when an individual has been overlooked due to procedural lapses despite meeting the necessary criteria.
