August 27, 2008	Wednesday	Sha'aban 24, 1429

PESHAWAR, Aug 26: The NWFP government has terminated the contracts of five senior officers, who were re-employed by the former MMA government after their retirement in sheer violation of rules and regulations.

According to a notification issued by Establishment and Administration Department (E&AD) here on Tuesday, contract appointment of Dr Hamayun Zafar, managing director of Health Foundation, has been terminated with immediate effect. Dr Zafar was given extension in service on June 30 last year for a period of three years.

Likewise, through a similar notification issued a day before, the contracts of a grade 19 officer Khudadad Khan and three grade 20 officers including Inayatullah Sikandri, Dr Abdul Rauf and Abdul Raheem have also been terminated.

Estacode, a set of rules and regulations, strictly prohibits re-employment of the officials after attaining the age of superannuation.

While quoting a circular of the Establishment Department dated Dec 18, 1990, the Estacode clarifies that service extension to an officer reaching age of superannuation cannot be granted.

Resolution No. 63 of the provincial assembly, which was adopted unanimously, had also declared that the civil servants after reaching the age of superannuation would be fired with immediate effect.

But, despite having these multiple policy guidelines, more than 20 officers from grade 18 to 20 were re-employed, what many described as sheer violation of rules, during past five year rule of the MMA government.

Most of these officers, working on lucrative positions, were given one to two years’ extension in service. Interestingly, the officers were entitled to all perks and privileges, which a regular can only avail. They were also entitled to pension and gratuity.

These re-employments, which also hit the headlines, caused severe resentments among the civil servants because with extension of service of these over 20 officers promotions were blocked and also new people could not be recruited.

The ruling ANP was the only political party, which had mentioned in its electoral manifesto that the trend of re-employment would be discouraged. However, the ANP government took almost six months to terminate these contracts and still over a dozen officers are working against key positions.

“Though the provincial government did not react promptly as was the case with Punjab government, which sent more than 3,700 contract employees home, it did not give extension to a couple of officers during this period,” said an official at Establishment Department.