Senate Panel Seeks Provincial Quotas in Higher-Grade Promotions
The Senate Committee on Devolution on Tuesday instructed the federal government to apply the provincial quota to promotions to higher grades, after it emerged that only one of the 38 federal secretaries is from Balochistan.
The committee, headed by PPP Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, also gave the federal government two weeks to either hand over half of the oil and gas wellheads to the provinces or share their profits — to implement Article 172(3) of the Constitution in letter and spirit.
One secretary out of 38
The additional secretary for establishment informed the committee that only one federal secretary, out of 38 serving across as many divisions, holds a Balochistan domicile.
“There is an insurgency going on in Balochistan and we have only one federal secretary from the province out of 38 divisions,” Ghumro remarked. He said implementing the 18th Constitutional Amendment was the counter to the insurgency — a statement fully endorsed by Establishment Division Secretary Nabeel Awan.
The establishment secretary argued there was no quota against promotions, but the committee disagreed. The chair noted that the federal government is predominantly run by bureaucrats with Punjab domicile, leaving smaller provinces feeling deprived.
What the quota requires
Ghumro said there are three modes of appointment: initial appointment through departments and the FPSC, appointment by transfer, and appointment by promotion. Under Article 38(g), he said, the federal government must maintain provincial shares in all three modes — and “cure this omission immediately” by posting secretaries from other provinces’ officers.
The figures are telling. Balochistan’s quota in federal service was set at 4.5 per cent in 1973 and raised to 6 per cent by then-prime minister Imran Khan in 2020. But the Establishment Division’s own data shows 31,235 employees with Balochistan domicile in grades 1-16 (5.2 per cent, below quota) and only 1,287 officers in grades 17-22 — barely 3.5 per cent.
The committee is mandated to implement the 18th Constitutional Amendment, and it took up both the quota issue and the oil and gas question as breaches of constitutional provisions.
The Establishment Division informed the committee that a special CSS examination in 2023 was approved to fill accumulated unfilled quota vacancies in the eligible provinces, regions and categories, with the upper age limit relaxed to 35 years. In June this year, the division had informed the committee that 3,384 posts allocated to Balochistan were lying vacant, and Awan said a campaign would soon start to fill them. But the written reply showed those posts are in grades 1-16; Balochistan may get no share of the highest positions, barring merit-and-seniority promotions. A draft summary seeking a one-time exemption from the austerity recruitment ban for Balochistan-quota posts in BS 1-16 is before the prime minister.
Oil and gas profits
On Article 172(3), the committee said the federation and provinces must participate equally in oil and gas matters. It gave the Petroleum Division two options: hand over half the wellheads to the provinces where they are located, or share the declared audited profits.
“If our instructions are not implemented, we can move against the officers either under NAB law for misuse of authority, under the Contempt of Parliament Act or to invoke Article 6 for subversion of the Constitution,” the chairman warned.
The Petroleum Division argued that Article 172(3) does not specify a mechanism for transferring shares or profits, and recommended referring the matter to the Council of Common Interests.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Senate committee demand?
Provincial quotas applied to promotions to higher grades, and either half the oil and gas wellheads handed to provinces or their profits shared within two weeks.
How under-represented is Balochistan?
Only one of 38 federal secretaries is from Balochistan; the province holds 5.2% of grades 1-16 posts and 3.5% of officer posts against a 6% quota.
What happens if the government doesn’t comply?
The chairman threatened action under NAB law, the Contempt of Parliament Act, or Article 6 for subversion of the Constitution.
What is Article 172(3)?
It states that mineral oil and natural gas within a province vest jointly and equally in the province and the federal government.
