ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Federal Minister for Communication Ahmed Ali on Monday told the National Assembly that 64 army officers and officials were at present working on different posts in the National Highways Authority (NHA).

In a written reply to a question of MNA Hizbullah Bughio, the minister said these officers and officials had been appointed in line with the government of Pakistan’s rules and policy regarding adjustment of serving and retired military officers in civil services for utilization of their services, experience, knowledge and technical prowess in the “best interest of the state.”

Giving details, the minister said out of these 64 officials, only National Highways Authority Chairman Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed had been posted in Grade-22 by the federal government. He had been working as the National Highways Authority chairman since Nov 2001, he said.

He said there were three army officers working in the Authority in Grade-20.

They are: Brig Imtiaz Hussain, Brig Laiq Ali and Lt-Col Azizul Haq Mirza.

Brig Imtiaz is the Director-General (Administration) and the other two officials are General Manager (Engineering).

Giving a further break-up, the minister said seven army officials had been posted in Grade-19 in the National Highways Authority. The names and designations of these officers are: Lt-Col Farooq Ahmed (Director of Establishment); Lt-Col Salman Rashid (Director of Engineering); Lt- Col Javed Akhtar (Director of Engineering); Lt-Col Javaid Akbar (Director of Engineering); Lt-Col Fazli Rahim (Director of Administration); Maj Shahid Allauddin (Director of Engineering) and Col Zulfiqar Ali Rana (Director of Engineering).

The minister said only two army officers had been posted in Grade-18 and the remaining were working in grades less than BPS- 16.

The two officers working as deputy directors in Grade-18 are: Maj Abdul Razzaq (Deputy Director of Administration) and Col Saifur Rehman Afridi.