ISLAMABAD: Over 1500 employees of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) are in hot water for trying to use their contacts to either get promoted or be posted to places of their choice.

Informed sources told Dawn that all such individuals seeking promotions or transfers through influential personalities are being issued show-cause notices.

In a message sent to all employees, Nadra Chairman Tariq Malik said that he, along with his team, took various steps to bring the authority in conformity with the contemporary needs by restructuring in order to induct and retain highly talented human resource.

He said a transparent merit-based promotion system had been introduced in the institution, adding that besides 65 per cent increase in salaries, performance and capability rather than influence and recommendations were permanent feature of the system for promotions, inductions and transfers in the institution.

“Despite all these steps and clear policies, some employees continue to use their contacts with influential personalities for their promotions and transfers, ignoring the hard work and responsibility, which not only affects the transparent system currently in place, but also deprive deserving employees of their rights,” the chairman said in the message.

The Nadra chairman made it clear that this course of action was not acceptable to him and in the best interest of the institution, this pattern would be discouraged and deterred.

He noted that institutions lost their worth and efficacy when the spirit of performance and privilege was hurt, causing damage both to individuals, society and institution itself.

He said the act of using influential personalities was in fact interference in the governmental working, which was unacceptable.

He said a decision had been taken to issue show-cause notices to over 1500 employees to seek an explanation from them over the issue. He said the employees who do not stop using their contacts with influential people would be acted against under Nadra rules and regulations (Civil Servants E & D Rules, 2020).

Assuring Nadra employees that their performance was the best recommendation, he asked them to diligently work to open avenues of progress for them.

Mr Malik when contacted confirmed the development and said that only merit-based appointments and promotions could help the authority meet international standards.

Citing the example of merit-based inductions and appointments, he referred to the case of Taj Muhammad hailing from Pishin district of Baluchistan who had passed a competitive examination and has been posted as Deputy Assistant Director in Nadra to become the in-charge of the centre from where he had started his journey as a sanitary worker in 2003.

He said that parents of three girls selected for their appointment on the basis of online applications were so surprised that they called to confirm if these were genuine or a scam. They wondered how their daughters got the jobs when they did not know any lawmaker or a feudal lord.

About the introduction of restructured hiring procedures in Nadra, he said the focus was on looking for brilliant candidates outside traditional talent clusters.

Mr Malik said that 3,613 employees of Nadra had benefited from strictly merit-based digital HR system.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2022