PESHAWAR: Not only did the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials ignore candidates shortlisted for some key positions to pick favourites earlier last year but they in some cases changed the approved job descriptions for blue-eyed candidates as well, sources claim.

The sources told Dawn that the former PDMA director general ignored the shortlisted candidates and chose his blue-eyed ones disregarding the laid-down recruitment process.

The documents shared with Dawn show that the PDMA had published advertisements inviting applications for five positions of programme manager, infrastructure coordinator, finance manager and housing coordinator in the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA) towards the end of Dec 2015.

The details shows that seven people were put on the long list for positions of programme manager, nine for finance manager, 14 for infrastructure coordinator and 22 for housing coordinators.

Sources allege that the then PDMA DG didn’t involve notified selection committee comprising officials of the establishment department, USAID and the authority in the recruitment process.

Earlier in 2012, the PDMA had notified four selection committees in the authority for the purpose of making selection for vacant posts under the project, Capacity Building and Reconstruction Programme KP under the USAID grant.

The documents also show that after the departmental shortlisting had taken place, some senior officials arbitrarily included names of their favourite candidates among the shortlisted ones.

They also highlight that five people were shortlisted for the post of the infrastructure coordinator with Rashid Khattak on the number one.

However, some senior official included names of Waleed Qureshi and Umar Khayyam in handwriting towards the end of the document. Ironically, Mr Qureshi, who was not among the five shortlisted candidates, was employed for the position.

Against the position of housing coordinator, two people were selected, while the names of two other people were scrawled by hand towards the end of the document.

Sayyid Khan Khattak gets this position though his name was not among two shortlisted candidates.

Three people were shortlisted for the position of the finance manager. However, the candidates shortlisted for first and second top positions were not in the long list, while names of three other candidates were scrawled in the handwriting towards the end of the document. However, no selection was made against the post.

Five people were shortlisted for the position of programme manager. However, the name of Nadeem Khan was scrawled on No 6.

Sajid Imran, who stood first among the shortlisted candidates, was appointed programme manager. However, for the position of the programme manager, the officials concerned changed the approved job descriptions mentioned in the advertisement.

The approved job descriptions of PaRRSA officials list master’s degree in social science with 15 years professional experience. However, sources allege that to favour their blue-eyed person, the officials changed the educational requirement to the master’s degree in civil engineering with at least 10 years experience.

Sources however said the programme manager’s job was not technical one as he was supposed to work as the focal person for PaRRSA to the external organisation and that didn’t required engineering qualification.

“It was changed on purpose to accommodate their favorite candidate,” a source alleged.

Former PDMA DG Amer Afaq, who is now serving as the deputy commissioner in Swat, was not available for comments.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2017