March 16, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429

KARACHI, March 15: The Sindh government has once again selected a non-technical person to head the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, it has been reliably learnt.

However, the government has admitted this fact first time, citing non-availability of a qualified person for the post as the prime reason. Sources said that persons with technical experience were available, though they were unwilling to take over as Sepa’s director-general.

The newly-appointed director-general, Ali Ahmed Lund, has expertise in the trade and commerce sector but not in environment related issues. Sepa is the executive arm of the Sindh government through which laws related to the environment are enforced across the province, including the country’s industrial hub.

Sources said that under the relevant recruitment rules a candidate must have a doctorate degree in environmental engineering plus work experience in the related field to be appointed to the post of director-general.

But since Sepa’s establishment in the mid 1980s, the Sindh government has been somehow successful in ensuring that no technically qualified person is posted as its DG. For the last two decades, people with irrelevant qualifications have been posted as Sepa’s head.

The predecessor of Ali Ahmed Lund, Abdul Malik Ghouri, had a degree in the English language and no relevant qualifications. But he kept the post from September 2006 to March 2008 till he went to undertake a training course.

Mr Ghouri had succeeded Nazneen Naz Ansari, who was also a non-technical person. She remained on the position from January 2006 and September 2006.

She had replaced Naseer Jamali, who had held the post from September 2005 to January 2006. His predecessor, Iqbal Nafees, also had a short tenure. Mr Nafees remained as Sepa’s DG from February 2005 to June 2005. He had succeeded Shafiq Khoso, a district management group official, who held the post from July 2004 to February 2005 during his second tenure as Sepa’s DG. The first tenure of Mr Khoso was spread over one and half years ie between February 2002 and October 2003.

Sandwiched between Mr Khoso’s two tenures was a six-month period during which Sepa was headed by Younus Dagah. He remained in the position from December 2003 to July 2004 despite his lack of relevant qualifications for the post.

In February 2002, Mr Khoso had relieved Shams-ul-Haq Memon, who as provincial environment secretary was holding an additional charge as Sepa DG from May 2001 to February 2002.

From February 2001 to May 2001, the post was held by another non-technical person Naseem Haider who had succeeded retired Brigadier Akhtar Zamin. The former army officer had enjoyed the position for three years ie from December 1997 and February 2001. He had been transferred and posted as governor’s secretary but he continued to retain both the posts for a considerable time till he was relieved of his Sepa’s additional responsibility by Mr Haider.

At present, sources said, the retired military man was keeping dual positions. He is chairman of the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution and also holding the portfolio of the home department in the caretaker set-up at the same time.

Brigadier Zamin had relieved Mehtab A. Rashdi, who headed Sepa for seven years from January 1991 to December 1997. She had a degree in political science and international relations. She clung to the post even after her transfer and posting as education secretary.

She had succeeded T.A. Jafri, who had been Sepa’s DG for three weeks from December 1990 to January 1991. His predecessor, S.R. Chhoda, had retained the post for six weeks from November 1990 to December 1990.

Mr Chhoda had succeeded a trader, Mehfooz Mustafa, who was the first director-general of Sepa, sources said, adding that he held the post from March 1989 to October 1990.

Sources said that the environment protection agency in Sindh was not the only organisation where non-technical officials had been posted one after another, but its counterpart in Punjab was also headed by a non-technical person.

Dissatisfaction prevailed among well-qualified officials of the agency due to continuous postings of non-technical people as Sepa’s head, the sources said, adding that a majority of technical people, including deputy directors, had either resigned or gone on long leave.

Responding to Dawn queries on Sepa postings, Sindh Chief Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman said that a technically-qualified person for the post of director-general was not available. He said that Mr Lund had been posted for the time being till Sindh Public Service Commission inducted a well-qualified and ‘appropriate’ person.