FATA Secretariat appoints consultant

PESHAWAR: Despite a ban on fresh recruitments under the annual development programme, a functionary of the Fata Secretariat has apparently hired a specialist. On August 13, the additional chief secretary (ACS) of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had directed all secretaries in Fata Secretariat that all recruitments and interviews under the ADP schemes may be frozen until a new government. But just two days after that direction, the Fata Secretariat Governance and Policy Project OSU, Planning and Development have appointed Shahid Quraishi as a financial management specialist on a reported salary of Rs350,000 per month. Sources in the Fata Secretariat say that Quraishi is apparently a relative of the FATA Secretariat Planning and Development Secretary Zubair Asghar Quraishi. Fata Secretariat officials confirmed that his appointment letter had been issued on August 15 while the competent authority had banned on new recruitments on August 13. The recruitment, was thus, a clear violation of explicit orders. When contacted the planning and development official said the person had in fact been appointed by the Fata Finance Department and that he had no links to it.  

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2018.