ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: Tariq Malik’s appointment as chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was not only militated against the spirit of a Supreme Court judgment but also against the national interest, according to the officer who momentarily held the office after the PML-N government sacked Mr Malik on December 2.

Director-General Nadra Brig (retired) Zahid Hussain took that position in his response to the petition that the sacked chairman filed with the Islamabad High Court the next day. Justice Noorul Haq N.

Qureshi restored Malik to the office and adjourned the hearing of the petition to December 11 (today).

Because Mr Malik holds dual nationality, he “could not be made custodian of national database,” said the Nadra DG, alleging that Mr Malik was appointed chairman Nadra for his association with the Pakistan People’s Party.

Malik’s counsel Babar Sattar had pleaded before the judge on December 3 that being the head of a statutory body, Mr Malik was holding a tenure position and could not be removed without due process till completion of his term on Aug 15, 2015.

Counsel Sattar said his client was already being targeted and threatened due to his unwavering stance on assisting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in its efforts to ensure free, fair and transparent elections by employing the latest techniques like biometric identification and verification.

In his reply as one of the respondents, Brig Hussain cited the judgment of the Supreme Court, on a petition filed by Khawaja Mohammad Asif in June this year, that said “the appointments in the autonomous/semi autonomous bodies, corporations, regulatory authorities etc, made before the appointment of caretaker government shall also be subject to the review by the elected government.”

The Nadra DG contended that the federal government took the decision to remove Mr Malik in the light of that judgment of the Supreme Court.

Brig Hussain also alleged that Mr Malik had long association with the PPP. He said Mr Malik was “IT adviser, member of central election monitoring cell – general elections 2008 of election monitoring cell – PPP headed by Sardar Mohammad Latif Khan Khosa.”

“After the formation of PPP-led federal government in 2008, the petitioner (Tariq Malik) was appointed as general manager networks, headquarters Nadra on May 23, 2008. An additional vacancy of member Nadra was created and he was installed in that position on August 8, 2008. Ten days later, the petitioner was appointed as deputy chairman Nadra,” he said.

Brig Hussain said that no position/post of deputy chairman existed in Nadra and it was “specially” created to facilitate the petitioner.

“Astonishingly, this all happened in a short span of three months of the petitioner joining Nadra when his probation period was six months and he was still working as an unconfirmed employee.”

These appointments were made without any advertisement and with special salary packages, he said, claiming that the contractual appointment of Mr Malik as Nadra chairman was politically motivated and against the principals laid down by the superior courts in their landmark judgments.