The men were hired without advertising the posts.
Extensions in the contracts of four retired army officials appointed in Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM) by the govt were challenged by two junior officers in a capital court.
Rana Shakeel and Mian Faisal, district officers at PBM filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court questioning the legality of the ex-army officials’ jobs. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui served notices to the respondents and gave them two weeks to submit their replies. Principal secretary to the prime minister, PBM managing director, PBM Punjab Director Lt (retd) Ahmed Nadeem Qadri, Information Technology Director Wing Commander (retd) Khalid Raza and two Deputy Directors Maj. (retd) Muhammad Hussain and Maj. (retd) Abdul Waheed have been named in the petition.
Counsel for petitioners Advocate Muhammad Amir Sohail maintained that the four retired army officers were appointed in grades 18 and 19 on contract without advertising the posts in violation of civil services rules. He informed the court that civilians were quite capable of performing their duties, but the government had chosen to appoint retired officials which was unfair. He argued that it was in the organisation’s interest that appointments were made on merit and no person could be re-appointed on contract.
Sohail maintained that the appointment of the retired officials appeared to be an attempt by the previous government to accommodate their favourites. He requested the court to declare their appointments illegal and direct the government to make fresh appointments.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2013.
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