ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday(today) with Prime Minister, Imran Khan in the chair, will decide the fate of 799 appointments made by the previous and incumbent governments without approval of federal cabinet. The sources said, on scrutiny of available record and after provision of missing information the number of cases of irregular appointments since 2016 rose to 799 from 638, with 161 appointments made by the caretaker government.
The appointments made without the approval of federal cabinet since August 18, 2016 are as follows ;(i) ASF- 500 ; and others -299. During the scrutiny of the case, it was observed that with the exception of 66 appointments, all appointees are either civil servants / government officers/ employees of autonomous bodies.
The three-member committee, comprising Secretary Establishment, Dr. Ijaz Munir, Additional Secretary-1 Cabinet Division, Syed Asif Hyder Shah and Additional Secretary In-Charge, Law and Justice Division, Khashih-ur-Rehman recommended that the 500 cases of ASF( except the position of DG, ASF) relate to regular appointments in BS 17, 18, 19 etc, as the ASF Act 1975 provides that the appointments would be made with the approval of federal government, may be ratified.
Aviation Division should get the ASF Act 1975 amended so as to unburden the federal cabinet from making regular appointments in BS 17 and above. However, the position of DG ASF may be kept within the purview of federal cabinet.
The committee has further recommended that each Division must scrutinize individual cases and move a summary for ex-post facto approval of cases relating to respective Division based on the following ;(i) the Divisions must ensure that there are no procedural lapses ad malafide involved in the appointments. If any such issues are present, then the concerned Division should inquire the matter and take action as per law;(ii) Divisions must ensure that there is no inquiry/ investigation/ reference in any law enforcement agency and / or anti-graft body like NAB, FIA against any of the appointments or appointees.
Establishment Division moved summaries for posting of officers in various Divisions/ organizations, therefore, summary for ex-post facto approval of all such appointments will be moved in consultation with the concerned Divisions/ organizations.
Power Division and Housing and Works Division should be directed to identify and scrutinize their cases, if any, as they have not submitted any report. The appointment of those who are still serving may be revisited by the respective Division on a case to case basis and after due diligence; move a summary for Cabinet for ratification of the appointments, and recommend further retention of their services or otherwise, as the case may be. The committee has further recommended that all Divisions must exercise vigilance so that appointments are made only by the competent appointing authority even in case of look-after charge, additional charge, acting charge, current charge, etc.
The cabinet, will also discuss political situation of the country especially after Nawaz Sharif, PML(N) supremo, reportedly spoke with Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman of JUI(F) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman PPP. The cabinet is expected to direct NAB to write a letter to the British government through Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring back Nawaz Sharif.
The cabinet will also discuss country's economic situation in the light of surplus current account deficit and reports of other international financial institutions.
It is expected that the cabinet will ratify ECC's decisions of August 21, 2020 in which it was decided to reduce and remove the incidence of taxes at import stage of sugar. The ECC has decided to reduce WHT from 5.5 per cent to 0.25 per cent, value added tax at import from 3 per cent to zero percent and sales tax at import from 17 per cent to 1 per cent.
The prices and availability of sugar, wheat and other essential commodities will also come under discussion. Minister for Foreign Affairs will brief the cabinet about his recent visit to China and Pak-Saudi Arabia relations may also be discussed.
The Cabinet will also accord approval to decisions of ECC held on August 12, 2020, CCLC, August 19, 2020, August 20,2020 and Cabinet Committee on CPEC, held on August 13, 2020. Prime Minister's office will give a presentation on PPRA Rules and Comparison of Process in Public & Private Constructions.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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