ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is trying to appoint blue-eyed persons on important positions despite the ban on new appointments which was imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to prevent pre-poll rigging.
Sources told Pakistan Today that government wants to appoint its close aides on important seats before dissolving the assembly and that is why the PM Office, on the direction of PM Abbasi, has issued the circular.
All ministries and divisions have been requested to furnish information about important vacant posts along with the information on board of directors of departments, senior officers said.
The incumbent government’s tenure is due to end on May 31 so before that, the government wants to induct blue-eyed persons as well as board members in important departments.
Sources said that the government is trying to induct retired bureaucrats in the board of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) as the tenure of previous has ended. Ministry of Commerce had proposed Ministry of Commerce Additional Secretary Syed Arshad Ali, Al-Baraka Bank Group Advisor and Board Member Shafqat Ahmad, Marines Group of Companies Managing Director Asim Azeem Siddique and Nazish Afraz for NICL board.
Moreover, MoC had instructed that the summary of appointment of Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) chairman be sent to the cabinet after conducting the interview. Sources said that MoC had conducted the interviews on Thursday and the matter would be soon sent to the cabinet.
Sources further said that MoC had asked to expedite the work on the appointment of one member of National Tariff Commission as this seat has been vacant for more than one year.
Sources also said that the government had also appointed the board members in National Security Printing Company (NSPC) board on Thursday.
Government is also interested in the appointment of House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFL) managing director as the finance ministry had sent the summary recently.
Sources said that presently there are 10 positions vacant in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Similarly, the government has extended the tenure of Joint Secretary Muhammad Zargham Eshaq Khan till December 2018.
Recently, the government had appointed Shaukat Hussain as Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) chairman, just twenty days ago while removing the Zafar Abdullah from the seat.
