Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices to the federal government on a petition filed against the appointment of joint secretary of the finance ministry as acting director general of the Central Directorate of National Saving (CDNS). A single member bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah after preliminary hearing sought comments while issuing notice to the federal government.
The petitioner cited finance minister Ishaq Dar, secretaries finance, establishment division and Waqar Ahmed, a joint secretary of the finance ministry, who has been given charge of director general (DG) CDNS as respondents. Petitioner argued that the CDNS investments was Rs 9 trillion during the financial year 2012-2013 but it is headless for over last one year.
The position of DG CDNS though had been advertised last year but the petition claimed that the appointment of a permanent head of the directorate was deliberately delayed as the finance minister wanted to keep his confidante on the said position. CDNS is responsible for mobilisation of domestic savings through the sale of various government securities called National Saving Schemes (NSSs). The CDNS operates Defence Saving Certificate, Special Saving Certificates, Regular Income Certificates, Bahbood Saving Certificates, Saving Account, Pensioners' Benefit Account and Prize Bonds.
The petitioner pointed out that the prescribed qualification for the said post as per the advertisement was minimum second class Masters degree in economics, statistics, commerce, business administration, public administration and administrative sciences with 17 years of experience in a responsible management post in any bank or similar financial institution including the national saving.
He added that with reference to this advertisement 53 candidates applied for the said post. A committee comprising finance minister Dar, secretary finance and additional secretaries finance and establishment division scrutinised the candidates and on March 03 and short-listed a few of them on March 11, 2014. As per petition, the short-listed candidates had served in leading banks and financial institutions. The candidates who fulfilled the fundamental requirements were further scrutinised for their experience and leadership qualities. It was decided that the most likely candidates who stand a chance to be selected to the post and have the requisite leadership qualities should be selected.
The petitioner alleged that the committee members wanted to conclude the process for the appointment of DG CDNS but it was finance minister Dar "who wanted to keep this post vacant for somebody through whom he could indirectly control all the deposits in the CDNS." The incumbent acting DG CDNS being the joint secretary finance ministry is working under the direct control of Dar and he was given look after charge in addition to his own permanent appointment in the ministry, the petitioner added. The petitioner pointed out that the DG CDNS is BPS 21 permanent position and Respondent Waqar Ahmed was working in BPS-20. The petitioner requested the court to declare the appointment of Ahmed as acting DG CDNS as illegal and also issue direction to the federal government to appoint a regular head of this institution.
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