Commissioner Afghan refugees: Appointment of JUI-F chief’s brother challenged

Petitioner says Ziaur Rehman’s appointment to the post was politically motivated

ISLAMABAD:

Ziaur Rehman, the younger brother of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazalur Rehman, does not belong to any cadre of the civil service.

He was among the eight officers who were inducted in the Provincial Management Service (PMS) by previous governments.

Zia was originally an employee of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) where he served as assistant divisional engineer and subsequently was absorbed in the Provincial Civil Service on September 7, 2012.

Currently, he was serving as Khushab DCO in BPS-18 but his skills and expertise combined with political influence has made him somehow eligible to be commissioner Afghan refugees, a post meant for BPS-20.

All this has been stated by Muhammad Abbas Khan in his petition challenging appointment of the JUI-F chief’s brother as commissioner Afghan refugees before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The petitioner’s counsel, Junaid Akhtar Chohan, said that Khan, a CSS officer belonging to Secretariat Service serving in BPS-19, was posted as the Commissioner Afghan Refugees by the Safron in 2015.

In the petition, the counsel said that his clean and professional career could be verified from his ACRs, adding he was serving to the best satisfaction of the superiors and was recently awarded scholarship for attending 84th International Refugee Law Course at Sanremo, Italy.

Moreover, he said, Khan has also attended International Summer School in forced migration from the University of Oxford.

Contrary to all of this, he said, the secretary Establishment Division placed Zia’s name at the disposal of Safron for further posting as commissioner Afghan refugees, K-P, through a notification issued on April 13, 2016.

Resultantly, Khan has approached the IHC and challenged the notification.

He has listed Establishment Division secretary, SAFRON and Ziaur Rehman as respondents.

Khan said that the placement of Zia through the notification influenced by the political figures was based on consideration not in public interest and was not legally sustainable.

“[Zia] is the real younger brother of Maulana Fazalur Rehman, chief of JUI-F, which fact shows that the said posting of the respondent No. 2 [Zia] has been made under political influence,” he stated in the petition.

As per a notification dated August 28, 2015, it is mandatory that the postings and transfers of provincial commissioner for Afghan refugees and respective commissionerate staff would be carried out by the Safron in coordination with the provincial governments.

Petitioner alleged that while appointing Ziaur Rehman, no such coordination was seen.

Petitioner said that it was against the law to transfer a civil servant from his post before tenure of three years.

In his case, Khan said, he had been transferred in less than a year and without any exigency.

Petitioner has prayed before the court to declare that the appointment of Ziaur Rehman was politically motivated, unlawful and void.

He further prayed that he might not be transferred during the tenure of his posting and the appointment notification of Ziaur Rehman might be suspended, while adjudication of the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th,  2016.