A high level committee in Pakistan has recommended the ‘forced’ retirement of 22 senior bureaucrats under a new rule that aims to purge the civil bureaucracy of ‘incompetent’ officers, Dawn reported.

The panel, led by Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) chairperson Zahid Saeed and comprising secretaries of the cabinet division, law and justice, establishment division and finance division, recently scrutinised the cases of ‘forced’ retirement of senior bureaucrats.

The minutes were now being finalised for submission to prime minister Imran Khan, the report said, quoting unnamed sources.

The sources said since the PM was the competent authority, after his approval, the officers whose names had been recommended for directory retirement might get an opportunity of hearing.

An authorised official would hear the officers before submitting a report to the authority concerned.

The officers being considered for retirement include officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), Secretariat Group and others cadres of the civil bureaucracy.