PQA chairman’s appointment challenged in Supreme Court

Former Secretary Port Qasim Authority (PQA) challenges the contractual re-employment of Chairman PQA.

ISLAMABAD:

The former Secretary Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Abdul Jabbar Memon challenged the contractual re-employment of Chairman PQA, Vice Admiral (retd) Muhammad Shafi in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Memon, who had been made dysfunctional in his position, submitted a request for an urgent hearing, requesting the court to club it with his main petition already being heard by the apex court.

On January 31, the Supreme Court began hearings on Memon’s petition against the appointment of a relative of both Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Babar Khan Ghauri at the PQA. He alleges the appointment was made in violation of employment rules. During the hearing, the court restrained the PQA from appointing or promoting any officer while the matter is being deliberated by the court.

Shafi, who was serving on a deputation from the Navy, retired on January 20, 2011. Five days before his retirement, the PQA issued an office order stating that Shafi would be awarded a contract to continue serving as the PQA chairman from the day after his retirement, January 21.

The PQA, following the Supreme Court’s orders to disclose the names of all people employed on contract, submitted a detailed employment record of the last three years, which included Shafi’s name.

Memon alleges this was a violation of federal employment rules and regulations.

According to Memon, the PQA misguided the court by disclosing only 486 names of contractual employees. He alleged that there were, in fact, 686 people, including 45 officers, who were employed in PQA in last three years.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2011.