Illegal recruitment: Supreme Court overturns 238 EOBI appointments
Directs NAB to probe hiring of ex-PM Pervaiz Ashraf’s son-in law, sets two-month deadline for probe.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday struck down 238 appointments made in the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) during Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government, and set a two-month deadline for the accountability watchdog to investigate the matter.
A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Justice Mushir Alam was hearing a petition filed by Syed Mubashir Raza Jaffery, who had challenged the appointments in EOBI.
In its verdict, the court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe the appointment of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s son-in law, Raja Azeemul Haq, who has also served as executive director of the World Bank in Washington.
“All illegal appointments, deputations and absorptions made in the EOBI, as detailed in the report of the fact-finding committee on recruitments, are declared unlawful. Accordingly, their services stand terminated,” stated the ruling. Directing the accountability watchdog to initiate proceeding, the court said, “All others directly or indirectly involved in the process of such illegal appointments on the basis of corruption, nepotism and political exigencies shall be proceeded against in accordance with law.”
Subsequently, the SC directed EOBI chairman to uphold transparency in the recruitment process and fill all vacancies in the organisation in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
Earlier, a six-member fact-finding committee tasked to probe the matter, concluded in its report that “prescribed rules and procedures were not followed in EOBI appointments.”
These appointments form almost 40% of the total strength of EOBI officer cadre and were made in a rush, the panel states in its report.
According to details, 82 appointees belong to the constituencies of former food and agriculture minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Nadeem Afzal Chan, namely Mandi Bahauddin and Sargodha.
After going through the record, the court said “it is clear that even the respondents in EOBI against whom allegations of nepotism and corruption have been leveled have offered no legitimate defence except saying that such exercise may be protected for the benefit of appointees.”
Similarly, ruling on Haq’s appointment, the court said “as evident from the material placed on record, which shows that after his resignation from a post in BS-18 in the Income Tax Group, he was appointed at the EOBI, and was promoted from one step to another to reach BS-21 within a short period of three years.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2014.
The Supreme Court on Friday struck down 238 appointments made in the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) during Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government, and set a two-month deadline for the accountability watchdog to investigate the matter.
A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Justice Mushir Alam was hearing a petition filed by Syed Mubashir Raza Jaffery, who had challenged the appointments in EOBI.
In its verdict, the court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe the appointment of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s son-in law, Raja Azeemul Haq, who has also served as executive director of the World Bank in Washington.
“All illegal appointments, deputations and absorptions made in the EOBI, as detailed in the report of the fact-finding committee on recruitments, are declared unlawful. Accordingly, their services stand terminated,” stated the ruling. Directing the accountability watchdog to initiate proceeding, the court said, “All others directly or indirectly involved in the process of such illegal appointments on the basis of corruption, nepotism and political exigencies shall be proceeded against in accordance with law.”
Subsequently, the SC directed EOBI chairman to uphold transparency in the recruitment process and fill all vacancies in the organisation in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
Earlier, a six-member fact-finding committee tasked to probe the matter, concluded in its report that “prescribed rules and procedures were not followed in EOBI appointments.”
These appointments form almost 40% of the total strength of EOBI officer cadre and were made in a rush, the panel states in its report.
According to details, 82 appointees belong to the constituencies of former food and agriculture minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Nadeem Afzal Chan, namely Mandi Bahauddin and Sargodha.
After going through the record, the court said “it is clear that even the respondents in EOBI against whom allegations of nepotism and corruption have been leveled have offered no legitimate defence except saying that such exercise may be protected for the benefit of appointees.”
Similarly, ruling on Haq’s appointment, the court said “as evident from the material placed on record, which shows that after his resignation from a post in BS-18 in the Income Tax Group, he was appointed at the EOBI, and was promoted from one step to another to reach BS-21 within a short period of three years.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2014.