Dual offices: Court orders removal of national savings official

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued orders to remove Central Directorate of National Saving (CDNS) Acting Director General Waqar Ahmed for holding two offices.

Ahmed is also a joint secretary at the finance ministry.

IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Minagul Hassan ordered the government to de-notify Ahmed on a petition challenging Ahmed’s appointment as the acting CDNS chief.

Petitioner Jahangir Jadoon had said that the CDNS investments had increased to Rs9 trillion in 2012-13 despite the fact that the directorate has been operating without a permanent DG for the last couple of years.

The CDNS is responsible for the mobilisation of domestic savings through the sale of various government securities called national saving schemes. The CDNS operates defence saving certificates, special saving certificates, regular income certificates, Bahbood saving certificates, saving accounts, pensioners’ benefit accounts and prize bonds.

In the petition, the counsel said that the post was advertised and interviews were conducted, but the appointment of a permanent head of the CDNS was deliberately delayed.

He said that just over 50 candidates had applied for the post and that a committee comprising Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the finance secretary, and additional secretaries had scrutinised the candidates and shortlisted a few of them.

The petitioner said that the shortlisted candidates had served in banks and other financial institutions and most of the committee members wanted to conclude the appointment process, but, some parties wanted to keep the post vacant so that indirect control over all deposits in the CDNS could be maintained.

He further said that Ahmed was appointed in the CDNS while he was working under the direct control of the finance minister. The petitioner had contended that the post of CDNS director general was a grade-21- position, while Ahmed was a BPS-20 officer.

He had requested the court to set aside the appointment as it was in violation of merit and against the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2016.