PESHAWAR, Dec 5: The NWFP caretaker government has refused to re-employ an ex-armyman in the City Development and Municipal Department (CD&MD) on technical grounds.

Maj (Retd) Allah Bakhsh Paracha had been recommended to be appointed as director administration by the NWFP governor and a summary had been sent to him a few days ago, sources told Dawn.

Mr Paracha, they said, had already served in the CD&MD for a year from November 2002-2003.

The NWFP Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RDD), CD&MD’s administrative arm, had objected to his re-employment and contended that the post was in BPS-19 and according to the service rules of the defunct Provincial Urban Development Board (PUDB), all posts in this category, except for the post of director (finance), were required to be filled in by promoting deputy directors of relevant departments.

At the moment, the post of director (administration) was not vacant and was being held by an officer of the district management group.

The department also pleaded that in view of the provincial government’s re-employment policy notified in 1990, no extension in service or re-employment beyond the age of 60 years could be allowed to government servants who had worked in any autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies.

Only the chairman and members of the NWFP Public Service Commission, vice-chancellors of universities and chairman and members of tribunals were exempted from this rule.

The department’s observations were endorsed by the Establishment Department and the provincial chief secretary, the sources said.