Hundreds of federal officers awaiting promotion have received a major boost as the federal government has initiated preparations to resume the long-delayed promotion process for officers in Grade 20 and Grade 21.
According to details, the government has decided to restart the long-pending promotions, paving the way for the advancement of a large number of eligible federal officers.
In an office memorandum issued by the Establishment Division, preparations have begun to convene a meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB).
All ministries, divisions, and cadre administrators have been directed to submit the panels of officers eligible for promotion to Grades 20 and 21 by August 10.
Sources said the Central Selection Board will review promotion cases of officers from various occupational groups, services, and ex-cadre positions before making recommendations for eligible candidates.
The board’s recommendations will be sent to the Prime Minister for final approval. Once approved, the Establishment Division will issue formal promotion notifications.
Sources further said that, in line with established practice, many of the promoted officers are also expected to be transferred or assigned to new positions, potentially leading to significant administrative changes within the federal bureaucracy.
In a separate development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the ongoing recruitment process of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
This will restrain the agency from implementing its latest recruitment advertisement until the case is decided.
The next hearing is set for August 22, 2026.
The interim order was granted by Justice Muhammad Azam Khan who had considered a petition filed by ANF Constable Muhammad Shafiq Khan who had petitioned that direct recruitment should not be done without considering eligible serving employees for promotion through the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC).
The petitioner who asserts that he has been working there for over 10 years without any promotion argues that the direct hiring may have a negative impact on present employees.
But sources close to the ANF saw this differently and pointed out that the petition is premature and is not true.
They stated that there had been three DPC meetings since 2024 and there was a scheduled meeting before the current recruitment process that would enable all eligible employees to be considered for promotion.
The sources said that the positions listed are in addition to the promotions in the departments and will not affect the direct recruitment program as per the existing rules.
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They believe that no changes to the seniority or promotion rights of regular employees will be affected by the recruitment campaign.
Azaad Digital also reported that the petitioner has a history of submitting fake medical documents and that he also received favourable postings through influence.
ANF officials are preparing to ask for an early hearing and ask the court to remove the stay order, saying that the interim order was issued before the agency could make a detailed response.
The nature of the order of the court is temporary, and does not represent a final judgment.
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