November 11, 2002	Monday	Ramazan 5, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Nov 10: If anyone thought the incumbent ministers would go just like that, he needs to think again, for an exercise has already begun to find them new jobs in the post-October dispensation.

The first in the line of hopefuls is Abeedullah Jan, the NWFP Minister for Food and Agriculture. He has been tipped to become the Project Director of $100 million Barani Area Development Project.

Dawn has learnt on good authority that a summary to this effect would come up for discussion in the cabinet meeting to be held at the Governor’s House here on Monday, hopefully the last meeting of the incumbent cabinet.

The 66-year-old Abeedullah, who retired from government service as Inspector General of Forests in 1996, and became a minister in the military government, acknowledged “there is a proposal” but said that a decision was likely to be made in the cabinet meeting.

What is more, he does not have any qualification in agriculture per se. He is a forester, as he puts it. “Agriculture, food and forests have been one department and I have been in charge of the ministry for three years. The governor made an assessment of my performance during the three-year stint as minister and he thought I was the best person to head the project,” Abeedullah said when asked for comments.

The trouble, however, is that the Barani Area Development Project is a seven-year project funded by the Asian Development Bank and IFAD which have put in $65 million and $15 million, respectively. The NWFP is required to chip in the remaining amount.

Under the terms of agreement, the project director would have to come through open competition. A gentleman by the name of Masood Bangash was appointed as the project director about a year ago on a three-year contract. It is understood that the major donor has threatened to pull out if the agreement was violated.

Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was also believed to have offered Minister for Industries, Mohsin Aziz to become the chairman of newly-created Industrialist Facilitation Agency (IFA). Mohsin, himself an industrialist, declined the offer.

For those who do not know what IFA is, it was formed recently after the merger of the Sarhad Development Authority, which had become a white elephant, and the Small Industrialist Development Board (SIDB). The IFA has a common chairman, which is an honorary post, and a managing director.

Mohsin acknowledged the offer was made to him by the governor but he declined it. “The governor thought he needed a man with a vision who could resolve problems faced by the industrialists and bring in investment,” he said. “I asked the governor to let the new government decide who it wants. He was gracious and kind enough to understand my point.

“The governor had offered me in good faith and I declined the offer in good faith. I think its best to bow out with grace.”

Another lucrative post for which an appointment is likely to be discussed at the cabinet meeting is that of the managing director of Bank of Khyber. The post was advertised a month ago. Interviews for the post have already been held and several names are being mentioned.

The irony is that the former managing director, Sajid Ali Abbasi, whose three-year contract was to expire in April-May 2003, was served with a notice period in September last and asked to leave. No reason was given for this abrupt termination of his contract, although the bank has earned profit which so far has not been declared.

Alongside this, a campaign of sort has also begun in the local press, purportedly from the ‘general public’ calling for the award of Senate ticket to a sitting minister.