Alleged ad-hocism mars Estate Office affairs

Lower grade officer posted as deputy director on temporary basis.

KARACHI:

The Federal Ministry of Housing allegedly established a system of ad hocism in the Estate Office Karachi. No permanent officer has been appointed to the post of in-charge of Estate Office Karachi and Deputy Director in Grade 18 for four years. Grade 17 officers are posted on temporary basis for a few months.

Due to the non-appointment of a permanent officer, the office affairs of the Estate Office Karachi have come to a standstill and work is seen to be stopped in all departments.

Estate Office sources said that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Works created the post of Deputy Director in Grade 18 in Karachi Estate Office in 2018. Deputy Director Estate Office Karachi is the head of the said department under which the residential colonies of federal employees come in Karachi.

Available records show that temporary charge has been given to Azeem Jatoi in November 2020, Niaz Lakho in 2021, Muhammad Ayub Jan in 2022, Niaz Lakho in 2023, Ayub Jan again in 2023, Zohaib Odho in 2023 and to Shafiq Ahmed in April 2024.

All these officers belonged to the Estate Office, however, in October 2024, Sikandar Hayat, a Grade 17 officer of the Pakistan Public Works Department under the Ministry of Housing and in-charge and assistant controller of the Government Rest House Qasr-e-Naz Karachi, was appointed in-charge of Estate Office Karachi and Deputy Director Grade 18 post for three months. He has taken charge of his post, but due to dual responsibilities, he is facing many problems in performing the said post.

Estate office sources say that the said officer has no experience in running the affairs of the Estate office. The officers are calling the recent decision of the competent authority beyond understanding.