Ex-NA speakers on NAB radar for illegal hiring

Anti-graft body seeks details about recruitments from 2018 to March 2024

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken notice of the alleged illegal recruitments in the secretariat of the lower house of parliament.

According to sources, a letter has been received by the National Assembly Secretariat from NAB seeking details of the appointments made to its office from 2018 to March 2024.

In the letter, the details of the recruitments during the tenure of former NA speakers Asad Qaiser and Raja Pervez Ashraf have been sought. Besides, the anti-graft body has also inquired whether the finance ministry had approved these recruitments or not.

It has further asked questions related to the process of recruitment for these employees including if they had appeared for tests and interviews.

NAB has also asked the secretariat whether the job vacancy advertisements for these posts were published in the newspapers or not.

The anti-graft body has directed the secretariat to hand over separate details about daily wages, and contractual and permanent employees. The complete data of recruitment during the tenure of both the former speakers is being compiled.

A local newspaper reported in the year 2022 that Qaiser allegedly recruited and promoted employees in the NA Secretariat against its rules and regulations during his tenure.

Citing sources, the newspaper reported that the former NA speaker hired and promoted over 200 secretariat employees, who belonged to his constituency.

Qaiser also had his brother-in-law, Tahir Qadeem, appointed temporarily to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly as a grade-17 officer and then transferred him to Islamabad on deputation.

Later, he permanently appointed his brother-in-law to the NA.

It added that Qaiser had also promoted nine officers on April 2, 2022, against the rules and regulations.

He also promoted his brother-in-law to grade 19, a day before the vote of no-confidence against the premier Imran Khan.

The promotions were neither on the agenda, nor a working paper prepared for them.
Later after the change of government, then NA speaker Ashraf took notice of the alleged illegal recruitments made by his predecessor.

Ashraf demanded a report on recruitment in the NA Secretariat in the past.

He sought details as to in which sectors people were recruited and who was appointed on deputation.

Ashraf also demanded the details of those promoted illegally.

The PPP leader’s own past is mired in controversy. In 2009, the PPP government had awarded contracts to nine rental power projects (RPPs) to provide electricity to the country as a stopgap arrangement. These RPPs comprised both local and international firms, including the Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretin of Turkey.

Ashraf was the federal minister for water and power at the time of the signing of the agreement before taking over as the premier.

He was accused by NAB of receiving kickbacks and commissions from the nine RPPs for awarding contracts for setting up their projects in 2008 to overcome the electricity crisis in the country.

However, he was eventually exonerated by the courts in all these cases.
(With input from our News Desk in Karachi)