Lok Virsa ED holding slot despite retirement

In blatant violation of government rules and regulations, Lok Virsa Executive Director (ED) Khalid Javaid is holding on to his office as the organisation’s head, despite his retirement on August 31. This may prolong and would inflict a serious loss to the government exchequer as the ED is availing himself of all facilities and privileges.
Sources inside Lok Virsa- one of the leading cultural organisations in the federal capital- said that the ED officially retired on August 31, 2011 as the head since March 2008. “It is a universal rule, a man who is born has to return to his maker, so the government employee, after retirement has to leave his office. But we do not know what is so pleasing about this position that entices every head of Lok Virsa to overstay in the office. Prior to Khalid Javaid, Uxi Mufti clung to his seat and after retirement got maximum extensions using his contacts, sources and resources,” the official maintained.
Now, the sources added, Javaid was making all out efforts towards the higher ups of the ministries, the Establishment Division, and the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to obtain an extension, that is why the employees were perturbed and the functioning of all departments at a standstill.
“Besides this, the organisation is suffering from huge financial loss on a daily basis as the ED is using three official vehicles of 3000CC and 2200CC engines that are not allowed even to a federal minister,” the sources said.
He added that wastage of electricity, especially through the use of air conditioners, refreshments on a daily basis and the manpower of the organisation was also causing loss to the government exchequer.
Sources revealed that the black double cabin pick-up purchased by Lok Virsa under Norwegian funding for museum field collections had been assigned exclusively for personal use by Khalid Javaid’s eldest son Aiman Khalid, who ran a private software company. The POL expenses incurred on this vehicle by the ED’s son in the last ten months were over Rs 1,000,000.
Sources said it was a moral responsibility of any government official to leave office with pride and dignity and not to use his contacts to get extensions.
“Javaid should leave his office, even if the case of his extension is pending in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. So far no notification from the ministry or the Establishment Division has been received. As soon as the office gets the notification, he should rejoin appropriately,” said a senior employee wishing not to be named. He said the ED’s status was not clear but he was holding office and they did not know whether the ministry should get rid of him forcefully or let the employees of Virsa do the same.
Another employee of Lok Virsa said that in recent months, the ED had been allegedly involved in misusing his office by giving out of turn appointments, rehiring of and irregular extensions for a few of Virsa employees after retirement that was unfair to other employees working since 20-25 years.
Recently, Lok Virsa employee Hina Mufti filed a petition in the court of the federal ombudsman against Khalid Javid for harassing her. “The next hearing is on September 22, and hopefully the final verdict will be in my favour. I have left my case with Allah who will give me justice on the Day of Judgment,” she said.
“More recently, a few pictures of the ED surfaced on the internet in which the ED was allegedly seen bribing a photojournalist. That is shameful if it is true and photographs usually are,” said an employee.
Media Centre Director Naseemullah Rashid,on the other hand, categorically denied the bribe charges, saying the photographs were captured when the ED was sharing his visiting cards with a few journalists who came the other day for conducting his interview and there was no envelope that could be seen in all five pictures. “This is rubbish, a few journalists are trying to damage Javaid’s reputation and are against his extension for unknown reasons,” Rashid said.
Lok Virsa Administration Director Shamim Akhtar, when asked about financial matters after Javaid’s retirement, said since the extension case was pending with the ministry and the Establishment Division and so far no notification had been issued, therefore administrative matters were at a halt. “Khalid Javaid is holding his position until now but he will not sign a single paper he is not authorised to. Also, he is allowed to use the facilities including official vehicles and other privileges after August 31.”
An official at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the ministry was keeping an eye on the Establishment Division and Prime Minister’s Secretariat for the notification of the extension of Javaid’s term, but so far they had not received any letter. “As soon as we get the letter, we will inform the Virsa management,” the official said.
When contacted, the secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Taimoor Azmat, said he was in a meeting and thus could not receive the call. Lok Virsa ED Khalid Javaid was contacted repeatedly to seek his version, but he did not receive the calls.