Officials overstaying foreign postings

ISLAMABAD: At least 79 officials posted in the Directorate of Passport and Immigration (DPI) offices around the world have overstayed their official tenures.

Official documents obtained by The Express Tribune revealed that despite the oversight, the Ministry of Interior had so far not written a letter to seek a return of these officials. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of staff across DPI’s regional offices as seats of these officials remain vacant.

Addressing the situation, DPI and Ministry of Interior officials seemed to shuffle blame between each other. Director DPI Irshad Ahmad Bhatti said that his office had written a letter to the ministry, as it was responsible for ensuring that the officials returned according to their tenure. But a senior official of the interior ministry under the condition of anonymity said that the DPI had “never written such a letter to the ministry.”

Meanwhile, Syed Wajid Ali, Director General DPI had no comment on the issue and said he would “look into the matter.”

Explaining the criteria for the selection of officials for foreign postings, Director DPI Bhatti said, “there are no hard and fast rules,” and added that there was no merit system applied while choosing the candidates.

According to the details of officials posted abroad, at least 79 officials continue their services in countries around the world. These include

Munir Awan, assistant director, who was posted to Dubai for two years on April 24, 2006, but continues to work there despite his term having expired on June 24, 2008.

Muhammad Raheel Rana, network engineer, has also been working in Frankfurt since December 05, 2006 even though his tenure was for three years only. Similarly, Ghulam Mujtaba Joyo, deputy director, was posted to USA for three years and nine months on August 15, 2006, but remains there to date.

The deputy director has also been accused by the Senate Standing Committee Chairman Muhammad Talha of using contacts to award the contract of supplying lamination papers to an American firm; NADRA was previously awarded this contract and had provided lamination papers at a very low cost.

Commenting on the issue, Joint Secretary Ministry of Interior Sawar Khan said that the ministry had been unable to collect data on how many employees of DPI were posted abroad.

“The DG DPI has to compile a list of officials in foreign offices along with their relieving dates,” he said. “We have not received any such list so far. Now we may have to ask the concerned offices ourselves to return these officials.”

He added, “It’s a complicated issue because the foreign office is involved.”

Published in the Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2010.