ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Housing has asked Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to put a complete ban on allotment of government accommodations to retired bureaucrats and get back such accommodations which are under the occupation of re-employed bureaucrats, it has been reliably learned.
Documents available with Pakistan Today disclosed a list of bureaucrats who were re-employed on contract basis upon reaching the age of retirement. These bureaucrats have continued the occupation of government accommodations in posh areas (Sector-F-6, 7, 8 and G-6) of the federal capital Islamabad under the provision of an old policy. However, the housing ministry had recently forwarded a summary to the prime minister, seeking changes in the entitlement of re-employed bureaucrats to occupy official accommodations.
The Ministry of Housing, in its summary, had tried to remove the gap regarding the entitlement of government accommodations and also advocated that re-employed bureaucrats were not entitled to continue the occupation of official residences. The summary said there was a dire need to immediately change the accommodation policy for all retired bureaucrats who got the opportunity of re-employment in the federal departments. The ministry had also sought the premier’s permission to get back the government accommodations from re-employed bureaucrats.
Officials at the housing ministry, while speaking on condition of anonymity, said that usually, blue-eyed bureaucrats got promotions and appointments even after retirement from service. These re-employed bureaucrats most often deprive the young officers of their entitlement of accommodations as they continue the illegal occupations of government accommodations, despite working on contractual basis, the officials added.
They said that retired bureaucrats continued occupations only because there was a gap in the policy about retired officers getting re-employment in some federal departments. They further added that to remove this gap, the housing ministry had asked the PM to approve changes in the said policy and put a ban on allotment of government accommodations to re-employed bureaucrats.
Sources also informed that PM Abbasi was likely to approve the recommendations of the housing ministry regarding the entitlement of officers for government accommodations. They said that after the prime minister’s approval, government accommodations would be immediately withdrawn from all those retired bureaucrats who have been re-employed in the federal departments after retirement from services. Dozens of government officers were put on a waiting list for accommodations since a long time. “PM’s approval on the proposed changes in the entitlement of government officers for accommodation is expected in the near future,” sources said.
Available list of bureaucrats who have gotten re-employments in the federal departments and were continuing their illegal occupation of government accommodations included the names of influential bureaucrats who earlier got government accommodations per their entitlement and later continued their occupations despite retirement from service.
According to the list of retired bureaucrats, Ahmad Awais Pirzada was re-employed for three years as Competition Appellate Tribunal Member and was occupying House 126, type category-I, sector F-6, Islamabad since March 3, 2010.
Similarly, Syed Rafiq Hussain Shah, Federal Public Service Commission Member was re-employed and continued the occupation of House 90, type CAT-II, Sector F-6/3, Islamabad from December 23, 2014.
Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar, FPSC Member was re-employed and continued occupying House 52, CAT-I, Sector F-6/3, Islamabad since April 19, 2014.
Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema, NAVTEC Executive Officer was re-employed and occupied House 69, CAT-I, Sector F-6/3, Islamabad.
Agha Nadeem, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat Advisor was re-employed and occupied house 75, CAT-II, F-6/3, Islamabad from October 2, 2013, to date.
Asif Bajwa, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Chief Statistician was re-employed and continued the occupation of House 6, CAT-APO, Sector F-7/2, Islamabad from October 20, 1997, to date.
Abdul Khaliq, National Assembly Secretariat Deputy Secretary occupied House 9, CAT-G, sector, G-6/3, Islamabad till date. Last but not the least, Director Finance Najeeb Ullah Khan was re-employed and he continued the occupation of House 29-A, CAT-APO, Sector F-8/1, Islamabad till date.
