ISLAMABAD: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), an NGO working on governance, transparency and election monitoring has approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to inquire into high profile appointments approved by the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Ministry of Finance (MoF) virtually on its last day in office and apparently without ECP’s consent.
In a letter to ECP, CPDI has pointed out that Khaqan Hassan Najeeb was appointed as advisor to MoF as well as Implementing and Economic Reform Unit (IERU) executive director general. The letter points out that while Najeeb was already working in the ministry on a contractual basis, as ERU DG, his new appointment as the advisor was without due process. No advertisement was issued and no test or interview was held. Appointment process done in haste and due diligence was not carried out. CPDI stated that the position of “advisor can potentially influence financial allocations and releases during the caretaker period” and demanded that ECP look into the matter.
CPDI has also drawn attention to the appointment of Zafar Hussain as the advisor in the IMF on May 31, 2017, and expressed the apprehension that the selected officer had no previous experience of IMF related matters.
The appointment of Najeeb as the advisor to MoF did come as a surprise. He was previously working as ERU DG. While the ERU’s mandate is limited to economic reforms, the advisor to the ministry is also involved with operational issues such as releases for development projects and programmes which can favour particular areas and candidates during elections. The government guidelines and ECP directions on new appointments were circumvented, by extending the DG’s contract at ERU for one year and at the same time re-designating him as the advisor and the ERU executive director general, something unheard of in the past. It is also interesting that the position of executive director general did not previously exist in the ministry.