SSIC reeking of ‘irregular appointments’

Sources say appointments were based on political grounds as two women who were appointed in BPS-7 in 2012 were promoted to BPS-16 and 17 one month after their appointments

KARACHI

PPI

Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) has made irregular appointments as grade 7 officials have been re-appointed to the posts of BPS-16 and 17 that caused unrest among senior staff, sources alleged.

According to sources, the appointments were made in the Information Technology Department of the SSIC. Those who were appointed were Sana Urooj as Deputy Director and Incharge IT, Ruqaiya as Assistant Director and Suresh Kumar as Data Processing Officer. They said that the appointments were based on political grounds as the two women, who were appointed in BPS-7 in 2012, were promoted to BPS-16 and 17 one month after their appointments.

Later, the department had to revert these two women from their posts and appoint them on BPS-7 on the directives of Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2013.

Due to pressure from higher-ups in the department, the administration once again issued an internal circular in the department in March 2014, asking all employees to apply for BPS-16 and 17 posts. “The internal circular was not meant for appointing deserving people instead it was only meant to accommodate the two women and a man on the post, having political affiliations,” they alleged.

The sources further said that several other irregular appointments of influential people were made in the IT department which included relatives of former Managing Director Rasheed Solangi, former Secretary Commerce and Industries Zamir Ahmed and others. Meanwhile, the Managing Director SSIC Muhammad Abid was not available for comments despite repeated attempts while Director Administration SSIC Mohammad Naeem said that the complete process was done on merit and there was no irregularity in the appointments.

He said that the department had the authority to appoint low grade officers through a proper channel which include invitation to all employees for the post and appointment after thorough process. However, he did not comment on why grade 16 and other officials were not chosen for the post and why it was given to grade 7 officials who were earlier removed on the apex court orders.