ISLAMABAD: Finally, the National Assembly has got its new secretary.

Mohammad Riaz has replaced Karamat Hussain Niazi who was due to retire in 2007 but continued working on extensions which he was repeatedly granted by the successive speakers of the lower house of parliament.

Earlier, Dr Fehmida Mirza sanctioned his extension. The incumbent speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, announced after taking over the charge in June last year that the assembly staff reaching superannuation would have to go home. But he consumed one whole year to look for Mr Niazi’s replacement.

As per an official statement, Mr Riaz would be the 19th secretary of the National Assembly. “Mr Riaz brings with him experience of serving in various government departments, including foreign Pakistani missions,” said the statement.

Few months back, he was brought in as the additional secretary administration in the National Assembly.

However, the interesting part of the development is that Mr Riaz is an officer of the customs group having served as member customs with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and director customs intelligence. How come a an officer with the customs service background fits the bill for a secretary National Assembly is a question which only the speaker can respond well.

Mr Niazi, though attracted flak for managing repeated extensions, had worked in judiciary with the background of legal education prior to his induction in the National Assembly. Mr Niazi was also secretary to the parliamentary committee which successfully worked on the 18th constitutional amendment.

“Mr Riaz has only served in the National Assembly for a few months that too to look after its administrative affairs and now suddenly he has been tasked with the responsibility of running the house which has 342 members and around 30 standing committees,” remarked one of Mr Riaz’s colleagues.

Before appointing him as the secretary, Mr Riaz was promoted to grade-22 by the speaker National Assembly. Within the National Assembly, the speaker is all powerful to make appointments of his choice unlike the officers in the civil services who need to fulfil certain requirements. The challenging task which the new secretary would be handling is leading the secretariat which will soon be assisting an important new parliamentary committee which has been formed for electoral reforms.

However, quarters close to the speaker argued that since nobody from within the National Assembly secretariat was capable of holding such an important position, the speaker was left with no option other than bringing people from outside.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2014