“Appointment of officials in some posts of the law ministry is a little different as compared to other ministries,” he said, adding that in the past retired judges were also appointed.. PHOTO: anheimblog
Giving out details of these officials, sources said Ghulam Rasool – a private secretary to law secretary –retired on April 28 but he is still working in the ministry without being legally notified about his reappointment. He is getting all the perks and privileges by the ministry. Contract of a senior consultant, another Ghulam Rasool, has expired but he is also working sans any notification.
Likewise, Senior Legislative Officer Malik Hakim worked for three months in the absence of any notification for reappointment. However, recently he has been given a one-year extension. Eighty-year-old Hakim is working on contract in the ministry for the last several years.
Providing details of contractual employees, sources said Habibur Rehman has been appointed as senior consultant after his retirement as Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan’s secretary.
Deputy legal advisers – Raja Naeem Akbar, Amir, Azam Waraich, Shahzad Mughal – are also working on contractual basis. The ministry is also functioning without a permanent law secretary. Naila Quraishi is currently serving as acting law secretary.
A senior official in the ministry believes that due to hiring of retired officers on key posts, the permanent employees get frustrated as they feel that their promotions are affected due to these contractual appointments.
“Instead of extending contracts of retired employees, the government should arrange programmes for the capacity building of permanent staff of the ministry,” he said, adding that government appoints retired ‘blue-eyed boys’ through Management Position (MP) scale policy.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Bar Council’s Executive Member Shoaib Shaheen stated that the federal government is violating the MP scale policy by appointing favourites on hefty salaries, perks and privileges.
He said the main purpose of introduction of the MP scale policy was to hire professionals for a short period but the incumbent government is misusing it.
Shaheen also contended that the reappointment of retired officials in the law ministry is a violation of the apex court’s judgment. He, however, also lamented that Islamabad High Court’s registrar Atiqur Rehman also has got six-month extension after his retirement.
Special Assistant to PM on Law and Justice Barrister Zafarullah said the officials, whose contracts have expired, would be given extension soon as their extension got delayed due to the absence of the PM from the country.
“Appointment of officials in some posts of the law ministry is a little different as compared to other ministries,” he said, adding that in the past retired judges were also appointed.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2016.
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