PM names Imtiaz Tajwar as temporary head, preventing a huge backlog of ID card applications.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday staved off a potential identity card issuance crisis that was sparked hours earlier by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chief Tariq Malik’s sudden resignation.
The prime minister hurriedly ordered a stop-gap measure, naming Additional Interior Secretary Imtiaz Tajwar as a temporary replacement for Malik. The move will help NADRA avert what officials have described as an expected backlog of over 50,000 identity card applications a day in case the chairman’s post remained vacant.
“After having served my country and NADRA for more than five and a half years with honesty, integrity and distinction, I believe now that I should resign from the office of [NADRA] chairman/registrar general of Pakistan in the best interest of the organisation I have served for,” read the text of Malik’s resignation.
“My resignation should be accepted with immediate effect,” Malik said in his letter. Sources in the prime minister’s office said PM Nawaz accepted Malik’s resignation.
Officials told The Express Tribune that the premier also approved a summary giving Additional Interior Secretary Imtiaz Tajwar the additional charge of NADRA chairman.
A new controversy brews
But by giving Tajwar additional charge of NADRA, the government may find itself embroiled in a new controversy. According to the officials, the move goes against the spirit of the NADRA Ordinance 2000 which stipulates that no one apart from a member of the authority’s executive board can be appointed its chairman.
Until 2pm Friday, Tajwar had not been part of NADRA’s executive board – constituted to run the authority’s affairs on January 3 – the officials said. His name was included to the list of the board’s members on the orders of the prime minister to pave the way for granting him the additional charge, they added.
“The move was aimed at averting the looming backlog of tens of thousands of computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and other identification documents,” a senior government official said.
“[Tajwar] will hold this responsibility for the coming few days, until the NADRA board meets to select an interim chairman,” read the official statement released by the government on Friday.
“The appointment of the new regular/full-time NADRA chairman will be done on open merit after advertisement as per the NADRA Ordinance. This process will be initiated in a few days [as well],” it added.
Five men in the reckoning
Sources in the interior ministry said that NADRA Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Director General Col (retd) Khalid Khattak, Punjab DG Brig (retd) Zahid Iqbal, Multan DG Brig (retd) Sajjad Hussain, Sindh DG Brig (retd) Zahid Hussain and Balochistan DG Brig (retd) Javed Lodhi were being considered for the coveted job.
When contacted, the interior secretary – who prepared the summary for giving Tajwar the additional charge of NADRA – refused to comment on the matter.
The latest development will likely affect the deployment of the newly developed electronic voting machines at all polling stations across the country, a former NADRA chief said.
Opposition fumes
The two main opposition parties criticised the government over the development.
“It is most unfortunate that the NADRA Chairman has been forced to resign because he refused to toe the government’s line on thumbprint verification in some sensitive constituencies,” said Senator Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan Peoples Party.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari said the development “adds to prevailing suspicions that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is fearful of allowing thumbprint verification on votes.”
Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency team probing Tariq Malik has requested the interior ministry to put his name on the Exit Control List for not providing required information.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2014.
COMMENTS (10)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
ET whenever I try to reply these stupid comments you don't print my comments. So it seems there is definitely some link between PTI and ET - purpose is point scoring which Imran Khan is always trying to do, but definitely ET and Imran Khan will come to know that elections can't be won by these stupid paid comments. Although majority of people of Pakistan are uneducated but they can't be dogged by these stupid speaches and comments for long - they are watching what Imran Khan thinking to be Mr. Perfect is doing in KPK. then he cries that there is riging in elections.
SHAME OF OUR P-M SHAME ON P-M SHAME ON P-M SHAME ON P-M SHAME ON P-M SHAME ON P-M SHAME ON P-M OUR P-M IS CROOK AND DISHONEST PERSON.
Sadly on the lines of decay of Pak History in the fields of Hockey, PIA, Water & Power projects, foreign policy and trade and commerce.
So help us God!
Actually, the whole idea was to appoint another blue-eyed young person from Lahore. Only Tariq Malik did not vacate the seat without protest and now it has become a public issue. However, the blue-eye boy will get there, sooner or later.
What a waste of talent and calibre our govt has committed. The modern NADRA set-up was Malik's brainchild. It's like firing Einstien from Nuclear Science mission. PMLN did not understand modern jobs that need very very high ethical & process standard to function. You just can not bring your uncle or brother-in-law to fly F-16 for the parade.
Its not " Under Pressure ". But its " Under Threat ". Please correct your heading.
No one will stand up. We are sleeping. Please don't disturb me.
Nawaz sharif has now started the musharraf saga by dismissing ppl who are against him... civil society shall stand up to counter this as was in case of CJ