Without a boss: With NAB in limbo, contract employees lose jobs

The bureau wrote to the law ministry for extension of employment contracts but in vain.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s top anti-graft watchdog has closed 20 corruption cases recently. Investigations into these cases could not be carried out unless authorised by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the bureau is without its chief since May 28, 2013.

During the last three months or so, more than 80 contract employees in NAB have lost their jobs as there was no chairman to authorise extension of their contracts.

“These employees were all from vital departments without whom investigators cannot work,” said a NAB official. All those employees whose contracts were to end after Bukhari’s removal had no other option but to go home, the official added.



They included officials from NAB’s legal branch, intelligence wing, media and communications wing, bankers and financial experts. In NAB, only investigators are employed as permanent employees, all others are recruited by the chairman on contracts of one to three years. The government was yet to decide the name of a new chief after last chief Admiral (retd) Fasih Bukhari was removed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Recently, NAB wrote to the law ministry for advice on the status of contract employees.

However, the law ministry refused to allow any extension in the contractual employees’ jobs, citing the accountability ordinance.

Without a chairman, the Directors General (DGs) had powers to take up corruption cases on their own and launch investigations into them. However, these investigations automatically lapse if not authorised by the chairman within 60 days.

“Suspects arrested during the course of investigations had to be released,” said a NAB officer.

Due to a mass exodus of contract employees, many departments have ceased to work.

“NAB is not doing any work at present,” said the NAB officer.

Another 250 newly recruited investigation officers currently training would also just sit idle after the completion of their course on October 8, 2013 as there would be no chairman to decide where to deploy them.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2013.