EDB clarification

A spokesman of Engineering Development Board (EDB) has clarified a news item, 'EDB CEC being pressurised to appoint managers' carried by Business Recorder by saying that it is absolutely incorrect that CEO, EDB is being pressurised to appoint managers.
The process of recruitment has been outsourced to IBA, who themselves designed and conducted a written test of candidates and will announce the results at their own. No official of EDB or the Ministry has any access or authorised to interfere the outsourced process of appointments, he added. A candidate, who achieves the qualifying marks in the written test will be eligible for interview.
The interview Board will also consist of persons from reputed universities/institutions other than EDB. The spokesman further said that out of about 300 applications received in EDB, not a single application was supported by any recommendation either from Minister for Industries and Production or from Prime Minister Secretariat Referring to award of fresh contract to two employees, it has no nexus with the seven advertised posts of Assistant Managers as the said seven posts are intact and totally reserved for external appointments.
Referring to the charge that Niazi possesses wealth beyond his sources of income, the spokesman vehemently denied the charge and described it as totally baseless as Niazi was never implicated in such a case. He added that Niazi has never been a government servant and had his own private business for the last two decades. As such the allegation of possessing wealth beyond his source of income does not arise, rather it appears illogical. Niazi's father did his PhD in 1954 and was the first Chief Economist of the country, he remained pasted at a very senior position in FAO, United Nations for 13 years. "The wealth and assets possessed by Niazi are ancestral and inherited. This is not only a baseless story but has been published without any verification and evidence," the spokesman said.
BR staff reporter Mushtaq Ghumman adds: CEO, EDB, Aitzaz Niazi spoke to this reporter from his office and the telephonic conversation lasted for at least 15 minutes. During this conversation, Niazi acknowledged that he had received three applications from the Prime Minister for consideration for appointment. However, he categorically stated that merit would be followed in appointments. He invited this reporter to his office with the offer that he wants to 'facilitate' him. In Urdu, he said (Meray office ain aur khidmat ka mauqa dain". After which he requested a mutual acquaintance, an Islamabad journalist, to approach him and convince him not to write or file the story.
For reconfirmation of story the reporter then approached Minister for Industries and Production, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, who did not deny it. With regard to assets beyond earnings, newspapers of October 19, 2002 are full of stories of warrants issued by the court for co-accused (Abdul Aziz Khan Niazi and Aitzaz KhanNiazi - relatives of former CDA Chairman Shafi Sehwani). On Friday, this reporter sent two SMS messages in addition to several attempts to reach Niazi through phone for his comments on the reported role of the Prime Minister's son in providing incentives for specific companies, but he could not be reached.