Illegal appointments: FIA issues challan against ex-secretary

SIU of FIA has issued challan against NSPP Rector Ismael Qureshi in an illegal appointments’ case.

ISLAMABAD:

Rejecting the inquiry report by one of its officials, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has issued a challan against National School of Public Policy (NSPP) Rector Ismael Qureshi in an illegal appointments’ case.

The special central judge, Islamabad, on submission of challan has also served notice on the former secretary establishment to appear before the court on March 12, some reliable sources said.

Background interviews of different officials, conducted by Express investigation Cell (EIC), indicated that Khalid Qureshi, a 21-grade PSP officer,  had recorded statement of Ismael Qureshi at the FIA headquarters some two months back. He later on declared the NSPP rector innocent on the basis of his statement.

As establishment secretary, Ismael Qureshi had appointed the heads for a number of key institutions including Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Directorate for Hajj and Navtec allegedly without taking into account the principle of merit and transparency.

An official of the FIA said that since the statement used to declare Ismael Qureshi innocent lacked any solid reason and justification, the SIU overruled its additional director general’s findings and decided to file the challan in the court against Ismael Qureshi.

According to an FIA official, Ismael Qureshi in his recorded statement had passed on the buck of the illegal appointments of Rao Shakeel, Tauqeer Sadiq and Adnan Khawaja – respectively as Director Hajj, Chairman Ogra and Navtec  – to the then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Ismael Qureshi had claimed that he was conveyed the desire of the former prime minister for clearing the summaries for the appointment of Rao Shakeel, Tauqeer Sadiq and Adnan Khawaja. When contacted, Ismael Qureshi said he was declared innocent by two additional directors general of FIA – Javed Bukhari and Khalid Qureshi.

“But some junior officials of the FIA have reopened the case,” he said, adding that he had never accused Yousaf Raza Gilani or any of his personal staff members including Nargis Sethi of allegedly pressurising him for the appointment of Rao Shakeel or Taqueer Sadiq.

Ismael Quershi, however, confirmed that he would appear before the special central judge on March 12 to defend himself in illegal appointments case.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2014.