Although Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the Supreme Court have restrained the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) from making any fresh recruitment, on political or merit bases, the Federal Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Ghauri-led authority is set to hire over 100 new people on political grounds, without publishing any vacancy advertisement, it has been learnt. The PQA has made an arrangement with its labour union so that the soon-to-be employed people could be smoothly accommodated and the issue is not raised at any forum, said the sources.
They said a minor job quota would be allocated to the PQA’s labour union, the People’s Labour Union and the People’s Officers Union, and the final list has also been prepared for recruitment in grades 1 to 15. Sources said that a few months ago, the prime minister and the apex court had restrained the PQA, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) from making any fresh appointment to restrict new political recruitments and lower expenditure. The ban was imposed after rampant appointments of Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement activists in the PQA and the KPT were brought to light, they added.
They said that the expenditure wing of the finance division had recently written to the PQA, the KPT and the GPA, asking them not to make more appointments. “The POL ceiling of entitled officers will be reduced to 50 percent, while the expenditure on TA and stationery will be reduced to 50 percent of the available budget under these heads,” stated the letter. It said, “There will be a total ban on purchase of physical assets, including all types of vehicles. There will be a total ban on recruitment. However, the cases of recruitment to posts, which have already been advertised, will be exempted.”
It also said, “Ministries/Divisions will not be authorised to re-appropriate funds from heads of POL charges, TA stationery, and acquiring of physical assets. All the ministries/divisions are requested to circulate the above instructions to all concerned for strict compliance.” Sources said that politically appointed Human Resources Director Haris Hameed and Industrial Management Director Noman Khan, a close relative of Ghauri, had done all the groundwork to ensure appointments of over 100 people.
This is unfortunate that this government has no writ when it comes to MQM ministers in the coalition government. Babar Ghauri is running a parallel government and he does not take into consideration the policies and procedures and continues to induct his party's workers in both ports of Karachi,
For how long MQM will continue to be allowed to take action against the majority of people of Sindh?
Would the PM take notice of this report in Pakistan Today and take action against this minister who considers these ports as his fiefdom.
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