On the defensive: Two years on, NSUSC MD’s appointment sparks controversy

Sources claim that the MD does not possess required qualifications and is overage.

SUKKUR: After two years of his appointment, the posting of Niaz Ali Shar as the managing-director of the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC) has sparked controversy. Taking notice of media reports against his appointment, high-ups have summoned records from the board of directors of the International Management Consultants and human resource committee to verify this claim.

Shar was appointed in 2011 through the International Management Consultants and the human resource committee constituted by the board of directors of the NSUSC. The corporation’s chairperson, Abdul Jabbar Memon, said that Shar’s work was satisfactory and they did not have any complaints against him. He added that he didn’t have any role in the appointment of the officials, rather they are appointed through International Management Consultants and the human resource committee. He has asked both the bodies to submit relevant record regarding the appointment of the MD.



Shar told The Express Tribune that his appointment was made purely on merit, keeping in view his qualifications and experience. “Yes, I am 62 years old, but I possess all the necessary qualifications and experience required for the job,” he said. He said he had 30 years of experience in municipal services, including water supply, drainage, waste water treatment and solid waste disposal. He has worked in Saudi Arabia in the same capacity and had successfully completed Rs8 billion Hyderabad package during the tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf, adding that it could be verified from former Nazim Hyderabad Kunwar Naveed Jameel. Besides this, he said, he had worked as the chief resident engineer at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, and designed water supply and drainage projects.

According to Shar, he was listed among the renowned engineers of the world in Who’s Who in America in 1995. He said that since his posting as MD, he had discouraged corrupt elements in the utility and, therefore, some of these employees have started targeting him.

“It is because of my dedicated work that the NSUSC received Rs14 billion as second loan tranche under the Sindh Cities value adding programme.” He said with the support of the Asian Development Bank 95 per cent of the work has been completed. The NSUSC MD said that recently he had constituted various committees to develop a transparent mechanism to award contracts and other operational material and activities. He said that some vested interests are maligning the image of the company.

Reposing confidence in him, he said, the United States Agency for International Development and other international donors have shown interest and willingness to support the NSUSC. Shar said that recently the government of Sindh has placed the cities of Jacobabad and Ghotki under the control of the NSUSC.

According to sources, the official doesn’t possess the required qualifications of engineering and Masters in Business Administration and, according to the advertisement, the age of the selected official should be 50 years, but Shar is 62 years old.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th,2013.