Appointment of three trade officers may be scrapped

Commerce Ministry is likely to scrap the appointment of three trade officers appointed in violation of rules and regulations subsequent to pressure from the Prime Minister's Secretariat, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. The decision has reportedly been intimated to Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is currently in China.
Amongst the trade officers expected to be recalled is Shahryar Talpur, the son of Abdul Ghani Taplur, a Pakistan People's Party MNA and Member Standing Committee on Commerce. On May 19, 2011, during the proceedings of Standing Committee, presided over by Engineer, Khurram Dastigar Khan, Ghani Talpur pressed officials of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from Karachi to disclose the names of those who had benefited from the NICL scam.
The other influential candidates whose appointments are expected to be annulled are Ayesha Saeed, and Nadia Rehman. Shahryar Talpur had been appointed in Santiago (Chile), Nadia Rehman in Prague (Czech Republic), and Ayesha Saeed in Brussels (Belgium). When contacted, Abdul Ghani Talpur said that he regretted that because of his questions to the FIA officials, the name of Commerce Minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim came in the limelight, as he (Makhdoom) is a respectable man. However, he clarified that the FIA has already submitted the list on which the Makhdoom's name appeared, together with his son and wife, to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Asked whether he was under pressure from his party leadership after this 'disclosure' he replied in the negative, saying that no one was pressuring him. According to him, FIA had already made up its mind to disclose the name of Makhdoom Amin Fahim to the Standing Committee's meeting. He added that if the government decides to cancel the appointment of his son who was trade officer in Chile, it would not be an issue for him. "I do not care. If they want to cancel the appointment, it will not worry me. God has given me a lot," Talpur maintained.
The appointments of these trade officers from private sector according to Trade and Commerce Group are highly controversial and have already been challenged in the Islamabad High Court. The C&T Group had obtained a stay order against fresh appointments of trade officers.
However, there are reports that Prime Minister secretariat is again pressurising the Commerce Ministry, to hire a renowned solicitor to vacate the stay order. C&T Group, sources said, is being pressed by the Commerce Ministry to withdraw their petition. A renowned solicitor, Ashtar Ausaf is representing the C&P Group in the IHC.