ISLAMABAD – In a blatant violation of Establishment Division (ED) directives, federal education secretary appointed a blue-eyed professor as the deputy director general of the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE). Education Secretary Athar Tahir appointed a professor of MehranUniversity, Dr Rafiq Ahmed Jhatial, against the seat of deputy DG of BPS-20 on a deputation basis for two years at NISTE Islamabad. The influential secretary made the move at a time when the ED had ordered to repatriate all staff on deputation from the ministries that are to be devolved, but the establishment secretary ignored the directions and appointed his close aide. Athar Tahir repatriated Deputy DG Jalaluddin Shah to his parent department (KRL) on pretext that the ED had barred all appointments on deputation.
However, in breach of the same order, the secretary appointed his crony on deputation at the same post on the same day for two years -an obvious case of favoritism and nepotism. A senior Education Ministry official told Pakistan Today that the secretary was not the competent authority to appoint anyone in BPS-20 on deputation, as only the prime minister was authorised to do that. The official said the education secretary did not get approval from the prime minister for the appointment and even did not bother to consult the NISTE administration. The seat of deputy DG is a seat reserved to be filled by promotion. While six officers working at NISTE are eligible for the post, apparently, they have no links in the power corridors. Kashif Abbasi
