MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 2: AJK Legislative Assembly speaker Sardar Siab Khalid is facing severe criticism from the opposition as well as some members of the ruling party for what they allege are cases of blatant nepotism.
Recently, the custodian of the august house found only his son and brother-in-law "fit" for two BPS-17 posts while only six months ago, he had appointed his nephew on a BPS-16 post in the assembly secretariat.
Notifications of these fresh appointments, issued on two consecutive dates in the last week of August, were secreted in files of the LA secretariat as confidential documents only to avoid public criticism.
Copies of these notifications were obtained by this correspondent from the assembly's administration wing on Thursday after waiting for three days despite their being a public document.
The notification (No3535-60) issued on July 25 read: "(The) Legislative Assembly Speaker has been pleased to approve the appointment of Mr Shahid Khalid, son of Sardar Muhammad Siab Khalid, resident of Chiroti, district Poonch, on the recommendations of the departmental selection committee based on (results of his) test/interview as private secretary in BPS-17 with prevailing allowances."
The 'departmental selection committee' was headed by Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid and comprised Deputy Speaker Sanaullah Qadri, secretary assembly Sardar Azam Khan, senior additional secretary Syed Ashiq Shah and additional secretary Tariq Zia Abbasi.
Interestingly, the assembly secretariat had issued call letters to 22 out of 35 candidates who had responded to the advertisement for the said post and, according to sources, tough questions were put before them in the test and subsequent interview to pave the way for the formal selection of the already "chosen" candidate.
The other notification (No3609-34) issued on Aug 26 read: "(The) LA Speaker has been pleased to endorse the appointment of Mr Talat Yaqoob made on July 21 as Staff Officer in BPS-17 in accordance with the recommendations of the selection committee on the basis of the marks obtained (by him) in interview, experience in grade 17 and training in office management."
Over 70 candidates had applied for the post of staff officer, sources said, adding, but only half of them were called for interview. The speaker appointed Mr Yaqoob on July 21 on "temporary basis" through the exercise of his discretionary powers and he was given the advantage of the alleged "experience" he gained in 36 days, sources said.
Three days after the initial appointment order of Mr Yaqoob, LA secretary Sardar Azam Khan's son Muhammad Zafar Azam was also appointed temporarily as assistant secretary in BPS-17 against a post that had fallen vacant after the promotion of another official.
However, the secretary could not get his son's appointment confirmed from the selection committee as Naseer Abbasi, another assembly employee in BPS-16, filed a petition in the High Court.
