Critics suspicious of senior minister's announcement on LB polls in AJK

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government announced on Thursday it would hold the long due local bodies (LB) polls on party basis in April next year. However, critics in opposition as well as within the ruling People Party were sceptical about the seriousness of the government in this regard, recalling a similar 2-year old proclamation. 

“The Peoples Party government has decided to hold local bodies elections after 22 years under the previous (LB) system in order to transfer powers at the grassroots level and solidity of democracy and democratic institutions,” said Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, AJK’s senior minister for local government and rural development (LG&RD).

“The local governments coming into existence as a result of LB polls will address concerns of people regarding civic amenities without any delay besides serving as nurseries for democracy,” he said.

The last LB polls were held in AJK in 1991 during the Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan led Muslim Conference government. However, when next LB polls became due in 1995, the MC government put them in abeyance, reportedly to avert friction in its ranks ahead of 1996 general elections.

Soon after assuming office in July 1996, the then Barrister Sultan Mahmood led Peoples Party government also announced to hold LB polls on party basis November 16, the same year.

According to official sources, Rs 4.6 million surety was deposited by the candidates throughout AJK. However, the polls were cancelled apparently for correction of voter lists but in effect to avoid any risks in the wake of dissolution of Benazir Bhutto government in Islamabad.  That surety has not been refunded to the candidates to this day.

Ever since 1995, the charge of LB institutions is being given by every government to ‘administrators’ who are either government officials or ruling party leaders. 

The senior minister claimed that compilation of electoral rolls, appointment of election commissioner for local bodies and allied staff, and demarcation of wards would be completed within the next six months to hold the LB polls in April 2014.

However, main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took the minister’s announcement with a pinch of salt “because the PPAJK government had so far proved that it did not believe in honouring its commitments.”

“Not too long ago, our party brought a resolution in the Legislative Assembly for LB polls but tha was opposed by the treasury benches,” said PML-N MLA Dr Najeeb Naqi, who is also vice president of party’s AJK chapter.

“They (government) claim themselves to be the champions of democracy but are running these institutions undemocratically through handpicked party loyalists… Given their track record I am not sure they will keep their word,” he added.

“Our party is all out for LB polls and want them to be held without further ado.”

Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, vice president of ruling PPAJK, also expressed doubt that the government would honour its latest announcement, which was also party’s commitment in the election manifesto.

“Unfortunately, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed led government’s performance has been abysmally poor and this announcement seems to be a stunt to divert attention from that and also to give a lollipop to disheartened party workers,” said the rebel leader.

He said the sincerity of the government would become clear after provision of funds to the election commission for compilation of computerised electoral rolls.

“Otherwise, it would be yet another hoax.”

It may be recalled that in October 2011, Mr Yasin had told a press conference in Mirpur that the LB polls would be held after six months..... Tariq Naqash 

Suspicion raised about upcoming test/interviews as 3000 apply for 48 already filled posts in AJK Assembly

        The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly secretariat has received more than 3000 applications for the 48 non-gazetted posts advertised last week, in what reflects growing unemployment in the region.

However, little does majority of the applicants know that it would merely be waste of time, energy and money for them, as the people already holding these positions are most likely to be regularised through the duplicitous selection process, it has been learnt. 

Interestingly, a group of ruling Peoples Party workers, led by Khawaja Atif Bashir, has already voiced serious concern about the “underhand recruitment procedures” in AJK Legislative Assembly, by staging a demonstration on a bustling thoroughfare here, during which an effigy of Speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq was also torched.

Background interviews by this scribe with Legislative Assembly officials, who declined to be identified for fear of grudge-bearing actions by their high ups, revealed that every speaker had been clandestinely creating posts, making appointments of favourites and later getting them confirmed through so called test/interviews by the departmental selection committee(s).

The recently advertised positions had once again brought this iniquitous practice into spotlight as, according to insiders, all were already filled by two former speakers  - Shah Ghulam Qadir and Chaudhry Anwaar ul Haq - as well as the incumbent speaker.

According to the AJK Legislative Assembly Recruitment (Terms and Conditions) Act, 1976, the speaker can create any new post up to BPS-16, without the approval of Finance Committee, which he heads himself.

He can also create posts in BPS-17 and above but for a period of six months. For creation of BPS-17 and above posts on permanent basis, Finance Committee’s approval is required.

Mr Qadir, who remained speaker from July 2006 to August 2010, had created 12 posts, whereas Mr Haq had created 39 posts from August 2010 to July 2011. The incumbent speaker, who assumed this office in July 2011, had so far created 6 posts, according to Legislative Assembly secretary Chaudhry Basharat Hussain.

It may be relevant to mention here that the AJK Finance Department was at odds with the LA secretariat for “wanton creation of posts” in it and had not included these 57 posts in the current year’s budget, notwithstanding their “approval by the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee,” where lone dissenting voice was raised by PML-N legislator Chaudhry Tariq Farooq.

Sources said apart from the fresh posts, the speakers had also been making appointments against other posts falling vacant due to promotions, up-gradations or retirements of employees. Even the incumbent speaker had so far made at least 18 appointments in the same fashion.

Interestingly, speaker’s own son Khurrum Sadiq was inducted as ‘protocol officer’ in BPS-17 in August 2011 allegedly through a backdated order (issued) by Mr Haq, whereas information minister Syed Bazil Ali Naqvi’s younger brother Basit Naqvi was inducted by Mr Haq as assistant protocol officer in BPS-16, after the announcement of June 2011 election schedule.

The duo was separately confirmed over the last four months by “fulfilling the formality of advertisement and subsequent test/interviews by the departmental selection committees,” source said.

The committee which found Khurrum Sadiq “suitable” for the post was headed by deputy speaker Shaheen Dar.

The selection of incumbent speaker’s son was reminiscent of confirmation in 2004 of the son and brother in law of the then speaker Sardar Siab Khalid against two gazetted posts by a committee, headed by the then secretary who had in return got his own son confirmed in the same manner.

Sources confided that while 48 posts had been advertised for confirmation of the incumbents after stoppage of their salaries by the Accountant General’s office, at least 30 more posts, also already being occupied, were yet to be put to the same process.

At the moment, the strength of the AJK Legislative Assembly secretariat staffers has touched the figure of 379. This is too high strength for a (currently) 48-member house, which hardly meets for more than 25 days in a calendar year.

When questioned by this scribe as to why it had taken too long to advertise these posts, Speaker Ghulam Sadiq said these posts were created and temporarily filled before his period without advertising them and after assuming office he had twice passed orders for test/interviews but the process got delayed “due to one or the other reason.”

He claimed he was the only speaker who had not created any post, but later admitted he had also created six posts.

When his attention was drawn to the previous practice of confirming the incumbents through test/interviews, he said: “It’s the responsibility of the (selection) committee to make selections on merit, even if it goes against the incumbents.”

LA secretary also vowed that as member of the selection committee he would “try his best to make selections on merit.”

Meanwhile, the demonstrators at the CMH Road called upon the AJK’s superior judiciary and Ehtesab Bureau to take notice of “slaughter of merit and morality in the LA secretariat.”

 “Its not just injustice but ruthlessness. Poor dupes do not know that this process is merely an eyewash,” said young PPAJK leader Khawaja Atif Bashir…. Tariq Naqash