Report alleges nepotism in K-P Assembly before it was dissolved

Despite advertisements in newspapers, the official rules and procedures were flouted to accommodate the blue-eyed

PESHAWAR:

More than 125 blue-eyed people were recruited by former chief minister, ministers and assembly staff in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly before its dissolution by the PTI government.

An official document revealed that despite advertisements in newspapers, the official rules and procedures were flouted in order to accommodate the blue-eyed.

An official of K-P Assembly on the condition of anonymity disclosed that the advertisements in the newspapers were floated just to avoid any litigation and for face saving, adding that thousands of candidates applied for the posts but amazingly only the relatives of the former chief minister, ministers and assembly staff fulfilled the requirements and were recruited.

The document revealed that for Grade 16 to 18 the candidates close to former CM Mahmood Khan were appointed to important posts.

A candidate belonging to the constituency of former CM was appointed as assistant secretary in Grade 18. Malik Ashraf, son of former PTI Minister Muhibullah, was appointed as assistant director protocol while former PTI MPA Fazal Hakeem Khan’s nephew was recruited in Grade 16, the document revealed.

Similarly, Abdul Aziz, son of former MPA Abdul Salam Afridi, was appointed as assistant director reporting, Sarmadullah Afridi, son of secretary K-P Assembly, Kifayatullah Afridi, was appointed as assistant secretary while daughter of assembly secretary was appointed as research officer and his son-in-law was appointed on a post of grade-16.

The son of special secretary assembly and his nephew were appointed as research officers. The son of special secretary IT K-P Assembly, Attaullah, was also appointed as research officer in grade-18.

The candidates who had applied for the posts appealed to the Supreme Court, Peshawar High Court, Anti-Corruption Department and National Accountability Bureau to take notice of the alleged illegal appointments so that the deserving qualified people could be appointed on these posts.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2023.