Who wants to be a millionaire with KESC?

The row between the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and some 4,500 workers has put Karachi through hell, with the dispute primarily being over the utility of these workers for the company. While KESC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tabish Gauhar claimed two days ago in a press conference that the company will make no appointments without merit, Pakistan Today has learnt that a number of senior posts have been awarded to family members of the politically influential as well as to retired intelligence and army officers, with individual salaries running into millions. As many as 750 officers have also been appointed at packages ranging from Rs 150,000 to Rs500, 000.
The majority of these newly-appointed belong to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), but a number of senior officers have also been hired at the behest of senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, sources told Pakistan Today. “MQM-backed employees, with the help of their party colleagues, are pressuring people not to strike against power failure,” sources said.
The KESC appointed Asir Manzoor as the group head of Human Resources, with his remuneration package worth Rs 2 million. Before joining the KESC, Manzoor had served in Coca Cola as well as Ittefaq Foundry, which is owned by leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “Manzoor is responsible for creating a lot of misunderstandings between workers and the company,” sources told Pakistan Today.
Soon after Manzoor was hired, he appointed his brother-in-law, Zarar Nasir Khan, as manger. Within 18 months, Manzoor promoted Khan twice – first as deputy general manager and then as general manager. Khan is now drawing a monthly salary of Rs 500,000 from the KESC.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Khushbakht Shujat got her son, Shahbaz Beg, appointed as Training Director. He is currently drawing a salary of Rs 500,000. Pir Danish, son of senior provincial minister from the PPP Pir Mazharul Haq, is employed in the KESC as Government Affairs Director. He is also drawing Rs 500,000 in salary. Nayyat Hussain, a relative of PPP MNA Sherry Rehman, is working as Technical Group Head, and pocketing Rs 2.5 million every month.
The most interesting appointment made by the company’s management is that of the group head of Industrial Relations: 78-year-old Abdul Gafoor, a retired bank officer, was hired despite being “physically unfit” for the job, sources explained. Ghafoor received Rs 2.5 million in salary.
Asif Hussain, brother of MQM provincial minister Aadil Siddiqi, is serving as the KESC Production Department’s revenue director; he is drawing Rs 700,000 in monthly salary. Abid Hussain, brother of MQM’s parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly, Syed Sardar Ahmed, is serving as a project director in the KESC; he pockets Rs 500,000 in salary. Another active worker of the MQM, Abrar Hussain, has been given the slot of Project-2 Director at a monthly salary of Rs 500,000.
Former heads of Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Karachi and Islamabad, Brig. (retd) Mazhar Ahmed and Brig. (retd) Masood Ahmed, are now working with the KESC as their security chiefs. Both men are drawing a bumper monthly salary of Rs 3 million, with directions to appoint them coming directly from the President’s House, sources alleged.
About 18 retired colonels are working for the company, sources said. “Col (retd) Wahid Asghar, Col (retd) Imran Nadeem Khuwaja, Col (retd) Saqi, Col(retd) Aamir are among the former military men hired in the company. They all are pocketing Rs 500,000 every month,” sources claimed.
Naveed Hussain, a close relative of PML-Q’s MNA Humayun Akhtar, has been drawing Rs 29 lakh salary as Group Head of Recovery.
Tayyab Tareen, a former employee of a beverage company, has been engaged as Finance Group Head on orders issued from the Prime Minister’s House. Tareen belongs to Multan, the home city of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
“While these officers earn millions, the skilled labour that is expected to be laid off earns between Rs 12,000 and Rs 30,000,” sources explained. “According to the agreement signed between the KESC management and the government at the time of privatisation, no downsizing, termination or retrenchment could be undertaken for at least seven years from the date of takeover. The KESC could also not increase tariffs. But the company has violated both these agreements,” sources said.