ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: As many as 1,027 serving and retired armed forces officers were appointed in different ministries, divisions and departments after the military takeover of October 1999 on induction, secondment or re-employment basis, the Senate was told here on Friday.

To another question, the upper house was informed that 276 officers were appointed in grade 20 to 22 in different ministries, divisions or attached departments and autonomous bodies during November 1999 to October 2002 on deputation, secondment, re-employment or contract basis by the chief executive.

Out of these, 54 officers were appointed in ministries and divisions while 222 officers were appointed in autonomous bodies. Out of a total of 276 officers, 38 are serving armed forces officers, 49 are retired armed forces officers, 185 retired civil/government servants/civilians, three civilians from the private sector and one retired judge.

Similarly, 103 consultants were appointed by ministries/divisions during the same period. The total expenditure on their salaries was Rs5.539 million and Rs1.381 million on fringe benefits.

Similarly, five advisers to the chief executive were appointed by the Cabinet Division from November 1999 to October 2002. Out of these advisers, Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, senior adviser to the chief executive on foreign affairs, law, justice and human rights worked on honorary basis whereas Dr A.Q. Khan, special adviser to the chief executive on strategic programme and Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) affairs and Dr Ashfaq Ahmed, special adviser to the chief executive, had been receiving their salaries from the KRL and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), respectively.

At present, 700 unabsorbed surplus employees were available in the pool on May 16, 2003. It was told that there was no ban on recruitment by ministries, divisions or departments subject to non-availability of suitable surplus employees of the same category in the surplus pool.

The minister in charge of establishment division, Raza Hiraj, in a written statement, said the ministries and divisions obtained a no objection certificate (NoC) from the Establishment Division before resorting to fresh recruitment.

He said Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) had sought NoCs from the Establishment Division for 27 posts while Federal Services Tribunal (FST) for 18 posts. The vacancies were technical and surplus employees in the respective categories were not available in the surplus pool at that time.

Therefore, NoCs were issued to them for direct recruitment in accordance with recruitment rules of the posts so that official work in respective departments might not suffer.

The minister said the total number of OSDs (officer on special duty) in BS-19 to 21 were 33.