After 8-Year Delay, Promotions Approved for EPA Officers as New Leadership Ends Stalemate

After 8-Year Delay, Promotions Approved for EPA Officers as New Leadership Ends Stalemate

Islamabad: In a long-awaited move, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has officially promoted three officers of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to the rank of Director (BS-19), ending an administrative deadlock that persisted since 2017. The promotions come under the leadership of Ms. Aisha Humaira, Secretary for Climate Change, and Ms. Nazia Zaib, Director General of Pak-EPA, who are being credited for executing what had long been stalled despite court orders.

According to official notifications, Mr. Aamir Abbas Khan has been promoted from Deputy Director (Legal/Enforcement) to Director (Admin, Legal & Enforcement), Dr. Mohsina Zubair has been elevated from Deputy Director (Lab/NEQS) to Director (Lab/NEQS), and Mr. Khalid Mehmood Chadhar has been promoted to Director (EIA/Mont.) from his previous position in Environmental Engineering/Technology Transfer. These officers had been eligible for promotion under civil service rules, yet the process was delayed for years.

Sources indicate that former Director General Ms. Farzana Altaf Shah had been reluctant to move forward with the promotions, despite formal legal directions.

Separately, in the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Mian Ejaz Majeed has been assigned look-after charge as Director (Legal), replacing Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Manik. The appointment was made by the Secretary of the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department in Lahore and takes effect immediately.

The promotions are seen as a breakthrough in institutional strengthening and morale-building for EPA professionals. Officials hailed the leadership of Secretary Aisha Humaira and DG Nazia Zaib for restoring merit-based progression and removing long-standing bottlenecks that had affected performance and motivation within the agency.

Observers note that the promotions will help improve regulatory oversight, especially in legal enforcement, lab standards, and environmental impact assessment — areas critical to Pakistan’s ongoing battle with pollution, climate change, and industrial compliance.