Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: AFP
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday dropped a hint that a man, who was once chosen by former president Pervez Musharraf as head of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), might be appointed again.
Brig (retd) Saleem Moeen, who had quit the authority in 2008, could be a possible replacement of Tariq Malik and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan does not seem to have any objections over Moeen’s relationship with Musharraf.
“We are thinking of bringing Saleem Moeen back to NADRA,” Nisar said after attending his first briefing on NADRA’s operations. However, he also said that the next chairman could also be from the current board, adding that in the past NADRA chiefs had never been appointed on merit.
“The new chairman will be appointed in a transparent manner for the first time in the history of the country,” the interior minister said.
“Lack of transparency and distortion of record at anybody’s behest or pressure is unacceptable,” he added.
Announcing certain policy decisions, the minister said he had banned NADRA personnel from interacting with foreigners without due permission. “Some of you handle very sensitive data, many people desire access to it,” he remarked.
He disclosed that the interior ministry had received reference from intelligence agencies that many officials in NADRA were occupying senior positions without proper security clearance.
“It is a serious issue and will be referred to the newly constituted NADRA board,” he added.
Talking about political appointments, he said thousands of people had been recruited since 2008 and the authority was still confused over the exact number. He said that despite the ban on jobs by the current government, hundreds of people had been secretly inducted without any advertisements.
“NADRA has become a recruiting agency and that is why 71 per cent of its budget goes into the payment of salaries,” Nisar said.
Talking about foreign postings, he said people had been sent on foreign postings without any scrutiny and many were still serving despite the expiry of their tenures.
“A reference will be sent to the NADRA board to ensure that those who had completed their terms be recalled,” Nisar said adding that from now on all foreign appointments will be made on merit and the NADRA chairman will not decide them.
He also asked NADRA to seek an explanation from Brig Zahid – who during his term as acting chairman – had given a 10 per cent salary raise to NADRA employees. The minister said if the Brig Zahid failed to respond within three days, the authority should take disciplinary action against him.
He also asked NADRA officials to continue the verification of thumb impressions of voters independently without any fear or favour and said those involved in the exercise did not need to brief the interior minister or the NADRA chief in this regard.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2014.
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. With the mandate of developing a system for re-registering 150 million citizens, NADRA launched the Multi-Biometric National Identity Card project developed in conformance with international security documentation issuance practices in the year 2000. The emphasis being "nternational security documentation issuance practices". So that criminals of other countries couldn't use Pakistan passports to appear with new identity. The point is the top man at Nadra should be independent of Government , and Chory Nisar approval is in itself a huge gaffe.
@Sanya: Armymen don't just have knowledge of war. Preparation of war is one aspect, the rest of the time, Army officers are people managers. Managing the challenges of retaining, training and upkeep of jawans/officers in the unit is a common experience that almost all officers in the Army gain.
General Dwight Eisenhower, later one of the best known and most successful US Presidents, was a good leader of men and an affective administrator.
Having military men in jobs requiring good administrative skills is not a bad idea. If a civilian has the requisite experience, then he should be considered as well. Let the best man be in the job, but please do not discount the experience of those in uniform either.
@Sanya: Perhaps you are unaware of the qualification of Mr. Moeen.
@ Sanya Just for your information, it was Brig (retd) Saleem Moeen who turned this organization into a world famous IT organization. Please do some research before giving your comments, it was this man who turned NADRA into a successful organization with his visionary approach & a well thought over strategy. As an engineer he was the chief architect in designing the world's 1st machine readable passport having both fingerprint and facial images embedded on a RFID chip & Pakistan was the first country in the world to issue e-passports with all these features together. This project was acknowledged globally & he was conferred upon the civil award of Sitara-i-imtiaz in recognition for his services in technology & management. In short, NADRA is the brainchind of this man & it would be the first good step of PML(N) government if they re-appoints him as NADRA chairman again.
NADRA a leading IT organization will be lead by a retired Army person having only knowledge of WAR, what a shameful. Is there no one competitive in this country to run this world famous IT organization ?? May be deal has been settled between Ch. Nisar (PML-N) and Brig. Saleem Mueen to not highlight rigging in election !
advertise it as a open vacancy
Tariq malik was a political man and he was working only for politicians to save his job. during his tenure he inducted thousand of non computer skills peoples on more than two lac salary pm. if some one visit nadra HQ and RHQ then can see that there is no single bench and chair even waiting chair are also using by the employee. when saleem moeen was chairman the total staff of nadra was 10000 and now after tariq malik he alone appointed thousands of employee and the total strength has been reach more than 25000 employee. all appointee of tariq malik are getting more than lac salary for a month and there was no rules and regulation for appointment, any one was fit for nardra who has a relative of a politician's or a generals etc. he promote hundreds of peoples with out any creteria and has been promote then three three times in two years
so Ch nisar saheb are doing very right decision for nadra and all nadra staff are with you ....
Forget about him .....No one is indispensable...No other competent person is available in the army of employed youth??
Chaudhry Nisar would do anything to keep the NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik away from this office because he was exposing the massive rigging that brought the PMLN in power. Shameful.