Overlooking the serious financial crunch that has hit the entire country, the AJK finance department has given concurrence to the provision of an official vehicle, house rent and a certain amount of fuel to the region’s former presidents on the pattern of former prime ministers.
In line with the approval, the law department has been tasked to propose requisite amendments to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir ex-Presidents (Salary, Allowances, Privileges) Act, 1975 to pave way for provision of these facilities to the prospective beneficiaries.
The former AJK presidents, it may be recalled, are entitled to Rs 30,000 as monthly pension , Rs 5000 for monthly telephone expenses and services of a driver-cum gunman from the AJK police and a stenographer and orderly from the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD).
For long, the AJK presidents also used to avail themselves of a privilege of importing one duty free car during their term like that of the provincial governors but that privilege was withdrawn by the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under his reforms shortly after the nuke tests in 1998.
However, in September 2004, the then AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat shrewdly inserted two amendments in the AJK Ministers (Salaries, Allowances, Privileges) Act 1975 whereby, for the first time, the former prime ministers in AJK were also entitled to some benefits from the taxpayers money, regardless of the length of their tenure. These benefits included one official car, official accommodation or Rs 25000 per month as rent, 400 litres of petrol (or its cost) per month and a driver-cum-gunman.
Instantly, former premiers Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan (1991 -1996) and Barrister Sultan Mahmood (1996-2001) became the beneficiaries of this amendment. Mr Hayat was provided these privileges after his second term in the coveted office expired in July 2006.
Mr Qayyum and Mr Hayat also claim pensions of a former president.
However, the ‘benevolent law’ about the former premiers did not go well with the then AJK President Maj-Gen (retired) Sardar Anwar Khan who felt he had been left out in the cold.
Perhaps, it was why he withheld a 2005 model Toyota Corolla Saloon car of president’s secretariat, in sheer violation of law, at the end of his 5-year term in August 2006.
All these years, sources said, Mr Anwar Khan had been desperately arguing before the concerned quarters that if a former prime minister could be provided an official car why a former president couldn’t enjoy the same privilege.
As the sitting Legislative Assembly has seen three prime ministers – Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, Sardar Yaqoob Khan and Raja Farooq Haider - in four elections, the S&GAD has provided same privileges to them as well.
In all, sources said, five former primers were currently enjoying the facility of an official vehicle, a driver cum gunman, Rs 25000 and 400 litres of petrol (or cost) per month. The incumbent premier was likely to rejoin this elite group whenever he vacates this office.
Last year, sources said, the incumbent President Raja Zulqarnain Khan had twice written to the law department to initiate requisite legislation for provision of same facilities to a former head of the state as well, apart from pension etc.
“We were under a constant pressure to give financial concurrence to provision of these facilities,” said a finance department official.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however added that his department had put a condition that these privileges would be provided in only one capacity if even someone had held both the offices.
When asked if any action would be taken against Sardar Anwar Khan for unauthorized retention of an official vehicle for five years, he said it was something to be dealt by the Ehtesab Bureau.
Ends
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
AJK Law Minister trampling rules for induction of son
MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 22: An influential member of the AJK cabinet is consistently using his clout to get his son appointed as a gazetted officer in sheer disregard to relevant rules and reservations by the concerned officials.
Documents made available to this correspondent and background interviews revealed that Sardar Sayab Khalid, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, had been twisting he arms of electricity secretariat officials since long for the appointment of his son, Shehzad Khalid, as assistant engineer in BPS-17.
Succumbing to the pressure, the secretariat issued a ‘notification’ on December 11, appointing his son as sub-divisional officer (SDO) in Rawalakot.
However, neither did the notification mention basis of the appointment (ad-hoc or contractual) nor did it say anything about the fate of the incumbent SDO, Muhammad Imtiaz.
The ‘notification’ after being challenged by Mr Imtiaz was suspended by the Service Tribunal on December 20. However, before the tribunal could pass a final judgment, the law minister, in the meanwhile, managed issuance of a fresh notification from the electricity secretariat on January 15, whereby Mr Shehzad was ‘appointed’ as SDO Thorar in place of one Fazle Rabbi, who was transferred to Bagh.
Electricity department’s chief engineer (CE) Mushtaq Gaursi admitted before this correspondent that the appointment orders were flawed but said his office had never moved any such proposals.
According to witnesses and sources, the law minister had been personally visiting the chambers of the officials concerned and pressing them to issue the notifications about his son’s induction as per his will.
Credentials of Mr Shehzad revealed that he had studied BE (electrical) in University College of Engineering and Technology (UCET) Mirpur after securing less than 46 per cent marks in the FSc in 1995.
His session in the UCET ended in 1999 but he earned his degree in 2004 after appearing in supplementary exams between 2003 and 2004 and that too after being granted ‘special chances’ by the varsity.
In June 2002, when his qualification was simply FSc, he was appointed on temporary basis as sub-engineer (BPS-11) in the electricity department for six months. He had falsely claimed that he had appeared in the final exam of BE (Electrical) and was waiting for his result. As he could not provide his degree after six months, the temporary appointment as sub engineer was never renewed but he continued the job, exercising the powers of SDO, until the AJK Ehtesab Bureau took stock of it in May 2004. Mr Shehzad had also obtained a pre-arrest bail from the AJK High Court on May 26, 2004, to preempt any action by the bureau.
His father happened to be the Legislative Assembly speaker in those days.
Interestingly, the formal endorsement of that temporary service without formal orders was sought by Mr Shehzad in May 2010 after almost six years.
In May 2005, Mr Shehzad was appointed as ad-hoc assistant engineer (BPS-17) in the electricity department against the quota of Kashmiri refugees but when his service was terminated in June 2006 by CE he got interim relief from the apex court.
In June 2007, he was appointed on contractual basis in a foreign funded project where he continued till August last year. At the close of project he submitted a ‘joining report’ in the CE’s office which was rejected on the grounds that he was never a permanent employee of the department.
However, notwithstanding the CE’s stance, the law minister kept on pressuring that his son be regularized and promoted as ‘assistant engineer’ on the basis of his service as sub-engineer for “three years.”
Sources pointed out that Mr Shehzad had mentioned fake dates in his applications about his previous jobs, either on temporary or on ad-hoc basis, in a bid to prove there was no gap in his service.
The law minister had also got issued a favourable “legal opinion” for his son from the law secretariat. A source in the law secretariat confided to this correspondent that the opinion was formed “on the basis of the available record” and that they could hardly go against the interests of their minister.
Sources also disclosed that Mr Khalid had also threatened former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider against resignation from the cabinet if his son was not inducted. However, his efforts remained unsuccessful mainly due to strong resistance by the then secretary electricity Akram Sohail.
When quizzed about the case, the electricity minister Mirza Shafique Jaral tried to bail himself out by saying he had always passed directions that the case should be processed according to the rules.
When the law minister was asked as to how his son could be inducted as SDO without fulfillment of criteria, he claimed that the case had been properly processed.
However, as more questions were put to him in the light of the documents available with Dawn, the minister lost his cool.
“Don’t write anything on my behalf. You can write whatever you want,” he said and hung up the phone.
It may be recalled that Mr Khalid has often been accused of favourtism while holding official positions. In September 2004, he had also got his son, nephew and brother-in-law appointed in the Legislative Assembly secretariat as gazetted officers through a departmental selection committee which he headed as speaker.
ends
Documents made available to this correspondent and background interviews revealed that Sardar Sayab Khalid, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, had been twisting he arms of electricity secretariat officials since long for the appointment of his son, Shehzad Khalid, as assistant engineer in BPS-17.
Succumbing to the pressure, the secretariat issued a ‘notification’ on December 11, appointing his son as sub-divisional officer (SDO) in Rawalakot.
However, neither did the notification mention basis of the appointment (ad-hoc or contractual) nor did it say anything about the fate of the incumbent SDO, Muhammad Imtiaz.
The ‘notification’ after being challenged by Mr Imtiaz was suspended by the Service Tribunal on December 20. However, before the tribunal could pass a final judgment, the law minister, in the meanwhile, managed issuance of a fresh notification from the electricity secretariat on January 15, whereby Mr Shehzad was ‘appointed’ as SDO Thorar in place of one Fazle Rabbi, who was transferred to Bagh.
Electricity department’s chief engineer (CE) Mushtaq Gaursi admitted before this correspondent that the appointment orders were flawed but said his office had never moved any such proposals.
According to witnesses and sources, the law minister had been personally visiting the chambers of the officials concerned and pressing them to issue the notifications about his son’s induction as per his will.
Credentials of Mr Shehzad revealed that he had studied BE (electrical) in University College of Engineering and Technology (UCET) Mirpur after securing less than 46 per cent marks in the FSc in 1995.
His session in the UCET ended in 1999 but he earned his degree in 2004 after appearing in supplementary exams between 2003 and 2004 and that too after being granted ‘special chances’ by the varsity.
In June 2002, when his qualification was simply FSc, he was appointed on temporary basis as sub-engineer (BPS-11) in the electricity department for six months. He had falsely claimed that he had appeared in the final exam of BE (Electrical) and was waiting for his result. As he could not provide his degree after six months, the temporary appointment as sub engineer was never renewed but he continued the job, exercising the powers of SDO, until the AJK Ehtesab Bureau took stock of it in May 2004. Mr Shehzad had also obtained a pre-arrest bail from the AJK High Court on May 26, 2004, to preempt any action by the bureau.
His father happened to be the Legislative Assembly speaker in those days.
Interestingly, the formal endorsement of that temporary service without formal orders was sought by Mr Shehzad in May 2010 after almost six years.
In May 2005, Mr Shehzad was appointed as ad-hoc assistant engineer (BPS-17) in the electricity department against the quota of Kashmiri refugees but when his service was terminated in June 2006 by CE he got interim relief from the apex court.
In June 2007, he was appointed on contractual basis in a foreign funded project where he continued till August last year. At the close of project he submitted a ‘joining report’ in the CE’s office which was rejected on the grounds that he was never a permanent employee of the department.
However, notwithstanding the CE’s stance, the law minister kept on pressuring that his son be regularized and promoted as ‘assistant engineer’ on the basis of his service as sub-engineer for “three years.”
Sources pointed out that Mr Shehzad had mentioned fake dates in his applications about his previous jobs, either on temporary or on ad-hoc basis, in a bid to prove there was no gap in his service.
The law minister had also got issued a favourable “legal opinion” for his son from the law secretariat. A source in the law secretariat confided to this correspondent that the opinion was formed “on the basis of the available record” and that they could hardly go against the interests of their minister.
Sources also disclosed that Mr Khalid had also threatened former Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider against resignation from the cabinet if his son was not inducted. However, his efforts remained unsuccessful mainly due to strong resistance by the then secretary electricity Akram Sohail.
When quizzed about the case, the electricity minister Mirza Shafique Jaral tried to bail himself out by saying he had always passed directions that the case should be processed according to the rules.
When the law minister was asked as to how his son could be inducted as SDO without fulfillment of criteria, he claimed that the case had been properly processed.
However, as more questions were put to him in the light of the documents available with Dawn, the minister lost his cool.
“Don’t write anything on my behalf. You can write whatever you want,” he said and hung up the phone.
It may be recalled that Mr Khalid has often been accused of favourtism while holding official positions. In September 2004, he had also got his son, nephew and brother-in-law appointed in the Legislative Assembly secretariat as gazetted officers through a departmental selection committee which he headed as speaker.
ends
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