PARC chairman Zafar Altaf's contract cancelled

The government on Tuesday cancelled the contract of Dr Zafar Altaf as Chairman of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), and appointed Dr Muhammad Afzal as 'acting chairman' of PARC. According to a notifications issued by the Establishment Division, Dr Muhammad Afzal, Chief Scientific Officer, PARC, has been transferred and posted as Acting Chairman, PARC, under Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in his own pay scale, until the appointment of regular PARC chairman is finalised.
Zafar successor Dr Muhammad Afzal has professional recognition in livestock development, and project management, whereas his professional recognition as scientist includes excellent institutional building record encompassing establishment of hi-tech animal health laboratories at NARC; camel research centre, Abu Dhabi and Livestock, Dairy Development Board, Islamabad and National Veterinary Labs, Islamabad.
According to sources in Minfa, Dr Zafar Altaf was appointed as chairman of Pakistan Agriculture Research Center (PARC) in MP-1 for two years on August 11, 2008 as per usual terms and conditions of contract agreement, but his tenure was extended by the PARC Board of Directors.
They said that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture recently sent a summary to the Prime Minister for appointment of new Chairman of PARC and proposed three names in this regard. Sources said that the Prime Minister sent advice to the President for appointing former Chairman PARC and Scientist Badrud-Din Soomro as the new chairman of PARC. Zafar Altaf, 72, a former bureaucrat, having excellent relations with the Pakistani media and other power circles, holding a degree in Psychology and Business Administration and PhD in Industrial Economics was occupying the seat of the chief of the prestigious scientific agricultural research body of the country for the third consecutive term, they added.
He was a controversial figure as National Assembly standing committee on food and agriculture and Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal had asked the Prime Minister for his removal. National Assembly standing committee on food and agriculture in its meeting on October 28, 2010, while showing distrust in Dr Zafar, had recommended that 1000 appointments made in of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) by Dr Zafar Altaf were illegal, and recommended re-advertisement of the posts, cancelling previous appointments.