Probe initiated into appointment of NICL chairman

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have reportedly initiated investigations into the appointment of chairman National Insurance Company Limited (NICL), which has already been challenged in Sindh High Court. Well-informed sources told Business Recorder on Saturday that Ministry of Commerce has also started in-house consultation on the mechanism as how the chairman NICL can be removed after the recent decision of the Supreme Court.
The sources said the NICL Board is responsible for the entire process of hiring the CEO, from advertisement to recommendations of the name to the SECP. The Commerce Ministry only receives the recommendations of the Board and sends it to the prime minister for appointment.
The Sindh High Court is scheduled to hear the case of CEO NICL's appointment on December 22, 2016. The Ministry of Commerce, sources said, has received a number of complaints about sexual harassment in NICL, including the complaints from Islamabad office. A departmental committee has been constituted which finalised an inquiry report on this issue and recommended transfers of some officials. The Commerce Ministry can take action on the recommendations of the department.
According to sources, appointments have also been made of "blue eyed" people on the basis of a very suspicious/dubious advertisement. The Commerce Ministry has been informed that CEO NICL completed hiring process without due process and constitution of selection committee, despite the fact that Ministry of Commerce Letter No 1(14)/2013/NICL-Ins, of August 31, 2016 has cancelled NoC and advertisement of various suspicious and undesignated positions.
The Establishment Division has also replied to the Ministry of Commerce through a letter regarding these recruitments that it has cancelled this advertisement, which is available with Ministry of Commerce. The CEO is accused of continuing his working on these appointments and failing to obey the ministry's direction in this regard. The NICL also violated Federal Government Recruitment Policy/Rules Sections 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, of October 22, 2014) which made the authorities bound to finalise the recruitment within 60 days from the date of advertisement. "Recruitment policy has also been violated, besides the Commerce Ministry's instructions," the sources continued. The policy says: "Administrative Ministry/Division shall ensure merit and transparency in the all recruitment process at all levels."