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Eyebrows raised as decision taken despite on-going departmental inquiry against him
KARACHI: Port Qasim Authority’s (PQA) management has reportedly given what the sources claim ‘most lucrative’ post to Muhammad Nauman Khan, a close aide of former federal minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri, despite a departmental inquiry initiated against him in pursuance of Supreme Court’s (SC) orders.
Khan, who was appointed illegally in the tenure of Mutahhida Qaumi Movement-London’s (MQM-L), has been posted as PQA Director (Administration) after receiving multiple promotions within a short span of time being the most powerful and blue-eyed member of the political party.
The sources confided to Pakistan Today that the apex court had passed an order on a petition filed by PQA former chairman Abdul Jabbar Memon that the competent authority shall examine the legality and vires of all the appointments and promotions made during the last five years within the PQA and shall pass appropriate orders within four weeks from today.
With the judgment of the apex court, Ministry of Ports and Shipping Secretary Habibullah Khattak had issued show-cause notice No 1(9)/2008 – P&S-II to Muhammad Nauman Khan.
The show-cause notice said, “The post of Instructor (Training Center) in BPS-18 was advertised in daily Dawn on 24-7-2009. The prescribed requirement is given at age 35 – 40 Certificate of Deck Officer Class-II, Masters in Transport Management/MBA/MSc in Computer Science. Five years experience in cargo handling equipment/course coordinator.
You, Muhammad Nauman Khan, was selected for this job. Your application shows that you did not apply specifically for this job. Overwriting on the date in your application is also visible. Your CV shows that you did Masters in International Relations in 1996 and Bachelor of Science with double Math and Statistic in 1992. Your education and experience are not relevant at all to the post you were selected for. The offer letter was given on 19th September 2009 on a contract basis neither your qualification nor experience matched with the job that was advertised. Your appointment was totally illegal and in clear violation of law and rules.”
“Meanwhile, another post was advertised in daily Dawn on 1st December 2009 for Manager (Welfare) in BPS-19 with qualification requirement as second class Master’s Degree in Administration/Social Sciences preferably diploma in industrial welfare and labour laws. You, Muhammad Nauman Khan, has no relevant experience at all but still, you were selected for this post. The offer of the post of Manager (Welfare) BS-19 was given to you on January 6, 2010. You assumed the charge on 7-01-2012.”, the notice further stated.
It further added that “As per PQA Rules, promotions to BS-20 post is to be made on selection basis from the candidates having at least 5 years service in BPS-19 or 17 years service in BS-17 and above. 60 per cent of the posts in BS-20 are reserved for departmental promotion and 40 per cent to be filled by direct recruitment. Vide Board Resolution No 96/2012 dated 26-12-2012, you were recommended to be promoted on acting charge basis as Director (Industrial Management) in BPS-20 under general cadre w.e.f. 3-01-2013. This promotion has already discussed quite thoroughly on the note sheet of the file and it seems a good circumstantial/documentary evidence that it was a forced decision.
“Your personal file is full of unheard favouritism where right from the beginning you were given the additional charges including the senior posts and of without going into further details or additional grounds, your initial appointment in BPS-18 subsequent as Manager (Welfare) in BPS-19 and your promotion on current charge to BPS-20 seem to be illegal and in total violation of laws and rules.
You are hereby called to explain that your initial recruitment in BPS-18 subsequent in BPS-19 and promotion in BPS-20 on the current charge basis, being illegal and in clear violation of law/rules, why you should not be removed from service forthwith or followed by other civil/criminal proceedings permitted under Law of the Land.?
After the show-cause notice, PQA in a tricky manner transferred Muhammad Nauman Khan and made him Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
Moreover, after a gap of few months, the PQA authorities once again posted Muhammad Nauman Khan as Director (Administration) under Administration Division having control of training centre, transport section (including Transport Vehicle Committee), Gulshan-e-Benazir Township Scheme (GBTS) and medical centre including computerization of medical cards.
Pakistan Today repeatedly tried to contact Muhammad Nauman Khan for his official version and dropped a couple of text messages on his cell phone, however, he did not turn up for his version.