IHC verdict: FBISE chairperson’s reappointment declared illegal

Shaheen Khan was accused of corruption, nepotism during her first tenure.

ISLAMABAD:

A high court judge has declared reappointment of the country’s top examination body’s chairperson as illegal.

On a petition filed by former controller of examination of FBISE Salim Nazir, Justice Anwar Khan Kasi of the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday declared the reappointment of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) chairperson Shaheen Khan on deputation as illegal. The court had reserved its verdict on the petition in October last.

The petitioner, adopted before the court that Shaheen Khan, a BS-20 officer in Higher Education Commission, was appointed as the FBISE chairperson on September 22, 2008 on deputation for a period of three years.

He contended that Khan’s name was sent to the prime minister’s principal secretary for reappointment, even though she was accused of corruption and nepotism during her tenure.

The petitioner alleged that Khan had signed an agreement with the Federal Employees Cooperative Housing Society (FECHS) on June 23, 2010 to purchase 425 plots. In addition to that, she had also included her blue-eyed officers in the purchase committee, causing a loss of Rs2.6 million to the national exchequer.

Furthermore, he argued that the FBISE guest house was illegally occupied by Khan, who had also appointed a number of people on contract and daily wages despite a ban by the federal government.

“On the basis of these allegations, Capital Administration and Development Division secretary had rejected the reappointment of Khan. However, the administrative control of FBISE was handed over to the Ministry of Professional and Technical Training secretary in the meantime, who forwarded her summary to PM’s principal secretary without consulting her parent department,” said the petitioner.

The judge, after deliberations, announced Khan’s reappointment as illegal.

Khan said she cannot comment on the verdict as she has not yet received the judgement’s copy. However, she denied the allegations of corruption and said she will file an appeal in the superior court against this verdict.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2012.