The World Bank has stressed upon replacing personnel from armed forces occupying key posts in different governmental organisations with competent civil servants. Sources informed Pakistan Today that changes in some governmental organisations are in progress according to directions given by the World Bank to a committee of Economic Affairs Division during their visit to the bank a few weeks back.
The bank emphasised upon the removal of armed forces’ individuals serving at key posts in different organisations including National Highway Authority, Pakistan Railways, Ports and Shipping, and Petroleum sector, and said that competent non-armed personnel should be recruited for the said posts.
The first alteration in this regard is to be made in the Ports and Shipping Ministry and involves the replacement of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Chairman Admiral (retd) Muhammad Shafi with Aslam Hayat from the civil service, who is currently serving as the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Chairman sources informed. Sources noted that Hayat has been given a choice between the chairmanship of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and PQA and it is very likely that he opts for the latter one in the coming days. Shafi hails from Pakistan Navy’s general supply line department and was not removed by the Establishment Division in line with Supreme Court’s decision of removing all retired contractual persons from important positions of government departments, sources added.
It is notable that many brigadiers from Pakistan Army are serving at important posts in many governmental organizations and are likely to face replacement. It merits mentioning here that the Ministry of Ports and Shipping has a plausible number of people from the armed forces, owing to its strategic importance and this could be gauged by the fact that Vice Admiral (retd) Aslam Menai is serving as the Chairman National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), Vice Admiral (retd) Azhar Shameem as the Director General Ports and Shipping, and Admiral (Retd) Muhammad Shafi as the Chairman PQA. PNSC was previously headed by Brig. (retd) Rashid Siddiqi while PQA’s former head was also an admiral namely Vice Admiral (retd) Asad Qureshi. This sector has always been steered by individuals from Pakistan Navy.
