PM’s adviser on aviation: Senate committee questions rehiring of Shujaat Azeem

Govt should reconsider decision as it violates SC’s order, says committee.

ISLAMABAD:

A parliamentary panel has recommended the federal government revisit its decision of re-appointing Shujaat Azeem as a special assistant to the prime minister on aviation as it is a violation of the Supreme Court’s order.

Azeem had resigned as Adviser to PM on Aviation on his own in July last year when Supreme Court took the suo motu notice over his appointment. The bench was examining the question whether a dual national can hold such an important office or not.

On Tuesday, the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, headed by Senator Tahir Mashhadi, took up the matter of Azeem’s reappointment on the privilege motion moved by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. The committee held that this case should be referred to the apex court again.

Mandviwalla had moved the motion regarding the Aviation Division submitting an incorrect reply to the Senate’s question about details of all actions taken by Azeem during his tenure as adviser.

However, the federal government reappointed him as the PM’s special assistant on aviation (on an honorary basis) in January this year, only six months after his resignation.

The committee deliberated on how actions taken by Azeem in the Aviation Division could be valid when the Supreme Court has already declared his appointment invalid.

“The committee fails to understand the reason as to why a person, who resigned when the SC found him unfit for the job, was appointed again as Special Assistant to PM on Aviation. We request the government to revisit and reconsider its decision as it is violation of the apex court’s order,” the committee recommended.

Even after the PIA’s managing director assured that no structural changes were made in the airline on Azeem’s orders, the committee still directed the national carrier’s MD to carry out a coherent and comprehensive review to ensure that no such orders were implemented.

While disposing of the matter, the committee said the submission of the inaccurate reply by the Aviation Division before the Senate was a breach of privilege.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.