PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has stopped the board of directors of the Economic Zones Development and Management Company from holding meetings since June amid fears about its dissolution.

The documents available with Dawn show that the industries secretary, who heads the government-owned company’s board, issued two notifications on June 17 stopping the company’s board from holding meetings.

The first notification said since the industries secretary had gone to China on an official visit, he won’t be able in his office until June 20, 2019, and therefore, the competent authority had desired all meetings of the EZMDC’s board and its subcommittees should be postponed until his return.

Members fear board’s dissolution to ‘protect illegal appointments’

The other notification issued later in the day extended the restriction until the passage of the budget by the provincial assembly.

However, two board members Dawn spoke to insisted that the restriction on the holding of the board’s meeting was there though the assembly passed the budget a month ago, June 26 to be exact.

A board member told Dawn that he had come to know that the restriction would continue until the company launched the Rashkai Economic Zone, which was not in sight at the moment.

He, however, said officials had told him that the industries secretary had stopped the board’s meetings on the instructions of the provincial government.

Another board member, Wajaul Siraj, who also heads the board’s human resources committee, is vocal in objecting to the government’s decision to block the board’s meetings.

Mr Wahaj has written letters to the chief secretary and industries secretary thrice by email against the restriction.

Dawn has copies of those letters.

In the latest email sent to the industries secretary on June 19, Mr Wahaj noted that the BoD and HR committee were examining serious irregularities in the hiring of manager legal, forgery of official documents and conduct of the company’s chief.

He added that the HR committee had recommended the manager’s removal on Feb 28, 2019, but action against him was awaited.

“The people illegally appointed to key positions continue to enjoy huge salaries and perks at tax payers’ expense. Any further delay in holding meetings will increase the losses to government exchequer and the authorities doing so will be held responsible for such actions,” he noted.

Mr Wahaj noted that the rumour had it that the BoD would soon be dissolved by the government.

“It was also said that the EZDMC is a government-owned company, so the government can do whatever it likes with it. This is understood but till the current BOD is functional, it is fiduciary duty of all directors to uphold the sanctity of the company, merit and transparency,” he said, adding that all board members have been earnestly trying to do so, attending BoD and committee meetings regularly, deliberating matters, spending their time and efforts, and taking decisions that could take the company forward.

He noted that the government might dissolve the BoD but currently when serious irregularities were being investigated by the board and its committees, the dissolution would be considered tantamount to abetting corrupt practices and the matter would haunt the civil servants recommending and approving the action for a long time.

In another email sent on July 18, Mr Wahaj said he wanted to reiterate that serious matters relating to corrupt practices in the EZDMC were pending to be deliberated and decided by the HR committee and board, and any further delay in holding meetings was a clear abetting of those practices.

When contacted, the industries secretary denied restriction on the board and said the board’s meeting would be convened ‘anytime shortly’.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2019