Sensitive position: Crisis cell chief holding post on verbal orders

Sources say retired brigadier’s contract renewal awaits premier’s approval.

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) has been working for the past three months without approval of the extension of his contract, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to an official source, a summary for extending the one-year contract of NCMC Director-General (DG) Brigadier (retd) Javed Iqbal Lodhi was sent to the prime minister, but an approval has not yet come through. However, the source said, Lodhi was verbally directed by the interior ministry to continue working.

NCMC is the department that deals with intelligence and other law enforcement agencies to combat terror. “NCMC DG is part of all important meetings and he is the custodian of all sensitive information shared by spy agencies with the interior ministry on terrorism and other matters,” the official said.

The official said that Lodhi has been working in the interior ministry for the last two years on different posts and replaced Tariq Lodhi who left the post for personal reasons last year.

Sources said that according to law, an official cannot continue his official obligations or attend official meetings until the receipt of the approval of extension in service.

According to the source, Lodhi is also drawing thousands of rupees from the national exchequer as remuneration, which is also objectionable under audit rules.

Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts, Lodhi did not respond to clear his position.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th,  2011.