Illegal appointments: Fresh probe crashes before take-off

Investigation has yet to start in dubious hiring scam in special education directorate

ISLAMABAD: A fresh probe into the illegal appointment case of 119 gazetted officers in the Directorate General of Special Education, Islamabad, could not be initiated despite the passage of two months due to unknown reasons, sources said.

Such is the power of the forces behind the illegal appointments that the government has reinstated Shabbir Nawaz, director of administration at the Directorate of Special Education, despite declaring him guilty in the case, officials said requesting anonymity.

The additional secretary at the ministry of industries authorised to initiate the fresh inquiry into the case could not start the process due to unknown pressures, they said.

It is a challenge for the CA&DD administration to ensure transparent and fair proceeding of the case as it has caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer in the shape of salaries and other benefits to 119 illegally appointed officials in the last six years since their appointment in 2009. The persons appointed under dubious circumstances are still performing their duties, sources said.

Despite repeated contacts neither the federal minister CA&DD Usman Ibrahim nor acting Secretary CA&DD Babar Yaqoob were available for comment.

In 2009, the Directorate General of Special Education Islamabad approved 32 posts of different cadres of grade-17 on contract basis for a period of two years during the PPP regime. But the recruiting committee employed 119-officers in violation of the rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2014.