Tag: Civil Servants

  • FBR establishes new section to investigate corrupt tax officials

    In order to ensure the prompt resolution of all disciplinary cases and inquiries against tax employees engaged in corruption and dishonest activities in field formations, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) established a new Section on Friday called “Discipline/Inquiries.”

    A new Section with the nomenclature “Discipline/Inquiries” is hereby created in the Admn/HR Wing, FBR (HQ), Islamabad with immediate effect in order to ensure proper follow-up of all disciplinary cases/inquiries of officers (BS-16 and above) of FBR (HQ) and IR field formations with a view to ensuring timely disposal of such cases, according to an office order issued by the FBR on Friday.

    According to Brecoder, a secretary or second secretary who works for the specified Section will be in charge and reporting to the Chief (HRM-IR), FBR.

    The FBR has also been ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fully abide by the guidelines of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020 when taking disciplinary action and conducting investigations against dishonest tax officers.

    The FBR chairman has directed the Revenue Division/FBR to rigorously adhere to the following instructions in all disciplinary processes and inquiries launched against the officers, in accordance with the directives of the prime minister:

    The Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 2020, Rule 10 read with Rule 12 shall govern how the chosen inquiry officer would conduct the inquiry processes. The same must be finished within sixty (60) days of the date the inquiry order was issued, or within any further time the authority may provide.

    All Directors General, Chief Commissioners, Chief Collectors, Commissioners, and Collectors of FBR shall keep the relevant case record in safe custody while forwarding the recommendation to begin disciplinary proceedings against any officer(s) or official in order to ensure safe custody of the record in an inquiry.

    In accordance with the guidelines outlined in Rule 8 of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, all heads of field offices shall also see to it that pertinent records of the case and other related documents are timely provided to the inquiry officer or the inquiry committee, as the case may be, through the designated departmental representative (DR). This must be done within seven days of the date of the inquiry order.

  • PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s women wing held a press conference on Monday at the KPK House, Islamabad. During this press conference, while criticising the current government, PTI women wing president Kanwal Shauzab and Maleeka Bokhari announced that Imran Khan did not go to D-Chowk on May 25 because the government had allegedly planned to kill a large number of protesters. To back up this conspiracy, they also showed a video clip to the audience which showed tear gas attack.

    While they claimed that the video shows Shehbaz Sharif government attacking PTI’s women political workers. When someone in the audience pointed out that this is an old video, Kanwal Shauzab replied that because it is old, there is not as much smoke.

    The shared video clip is from 2021 when during Imran Khan’s government, the law enforcement attacked the civil servants’ protest at D Chowk and subjected the protesters to severe teargas shelling.

    Several PTI workers and supporters shared a video clip on Twitter and have been corrected by journalists, politicians belonging to the Opposition and other social media users, some examples can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

  • Pakistan’s first visually impaired diplomat set to publish book on Indian Kashmir abuses

    Pakistan’s first visually impaired diplomat set to publish book on Indian Kashmir abuses

    Pakistan’s first visually impaired United Nations (UN) delegate Saima Saleem has announced her upcoming book, written on the topic of human rights violations happening in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    On the occasion of World Braille Day, Saima said, “Working for human rights is my passion, and my book is also written on the topic of gross and systematic human rights violations happening in IIOJK. It is in the last phase of editing and I will try my best to get that published in Braille as well.”

    She believes that people with disabilities can become useful and productive for society if attitudinal and access barriers can be removed for them.

    Saleem is the first blind civil servant and the first blind diplomat of Pakistan. This is her first book.

    She made history at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a speech that she read from Braille- tactile code enabling blind and visually impaired people to read and write by touch.

    Saleem holds a master’s degree in international law with a specialisation in international humanitarian law and human rights from the University of Geneva.

  • Govt employees forbidden to use social media platforms

    Govt employees forbidden to use social media platforms

    In an apparent bid to prevent the leak of official information and documents, the government has barred all government employees from using social media platforms, reports Kalbe Ali for Dawn.

    A notification issued by the Establishment Division on August 25 says no government servant can participate in any media platform without the permission of the government.

    The notification gave detailed instructions to government employees under Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, governing the participation of government servants in different media forums including social media platforms for compliance.

    Screenshot of the notification available to The Current

    “Rule 18 of the Rules bars a government servant from sharing official information or document with a government servant or a private person or press,” the notification added.

    “Referring to Rule 22 of the Servant Rules, the Establishment Division says that it restrains a government servant from making any statement of fact or opinion which is capable of embarrassing the government in any document published or in any communication made to the press or in any public utterance or television programme or radio broadcast delivered by him or her,” read the notification.

    The notification warned all government servants that violation of one or more of these instructions would be tantamount to misconduct and lead to disciplinary action against the delinquent government servant under Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. Besides, it said, disciplinary proceedings would also be held against the serving government servants in case they were administrators of a social media group where any violation had been committed.

    “They (government employees), while using different social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microblogging, etc, to air their views on a host of subjects and sometimes indulge in actions or behaviour that does not conform to the required standards of official conduct, as envisaged in the Rules,” the notification added.