learnedutoday
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process within the secretariat of the lower house of parliament in Islamabad. Sources reveal that NAB has dispatched a letter to the National Assembly Secretariat, requesting comprehensive details regarding appointments made from 2018 to March 2024.
Specifically, the anti-graft body seeks clarification on appointments made during the tenures of former NA speakers Asad Qaiser and Raja Pervez Ashraf, along with inquiries into the approval process by the finance ministry. Additionally, NAB has raised questions regarding the recruitment procedures, including tests, interviews, and the publication of job vacancies in newspapers. The secretariat has been instructed to provide separate data on daily wage, contractual, and permanent employees, with efforts underway to compile a comprehensive record of recruitment activities during the aforementioned tenures.
Reports from 2022 allege irregularities in Qaiser’s tenure, including the purported recruitment and promotion of over 200 secretariat employees, some from his own constituency. Notably, Qaiser’s brother-in-law was temporarily appointed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and later transferred to Islamabad on deputation, with subsequent permanent appointment to the NA. Furthermore, Qaiser allegedly made promotions against protocol, including elevating his brother-in-law to grade 19 just before a no-confidence vote against then-premier Imran Khan.
Following a change in government, former NA speaker Ashraf launched an investigation into alleged illegal recruitments by his predecessor, seeking comprehensive reports on recruitment sectors and promotions. However, Ashraf’s own political history is not without controversy, notably his involvement in rental power projects and subsequent accusations of kickbacks and commissions, for which he was eventually acquitted by the courts.
Haseeb Abdullah
