PQA transfers: SC urged to stop Babar Ghauri’s influence

Petitioner alleges Babar Khan Ghauri is practicing nepotism in transfers and postings in Port Qasim Authority.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has been petitioned to stop ex-federal minister for ports and shipping Babar Khan Ghauri from using his influence in transfers and postings in the Port Qasim Authority.

Dysfunctional secretary of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Abdul Jabbar Memon filed a miscellaneous application in the apex court seeking its injunction in the matter.

Abdul Jabbar Memon had previously filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Mehmood Zameer Ahmed Farooqi, the brother-in-law of Federal Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, in the PQA in violation of rules of business.

Memon claimed in his application that he apprehends that he (Ghauri), in order to frustrate and misguide the court, is transferring in haste all the officers who were appointed illegally as well as to manipulate or destroy his record.

He also claimed that one of the respondents in his petition, Nauman Khan, has been transferred to industrial management department which is very important and sensitive as it has all the record of land, plots and property of the PQA “with the intention to destroy, misplace or manipulate the actual record”.

Nauman’s brother Haris Hamid, who is also an employee of PQA and was working as deputy manager, has been transferred as acting director human resource department (PQA) in place of Nauman, the petitioner asserted.

Memon contended that the apex court had directed the ministry of ports & shipping to submit the record of last three years pertaining to appointments and postings in the PQA.

Memon contended that these transfers were meant to misguide the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th,  2011.