LAHORE, Nov 2: The Punjab government has appointed a BPS-18 officer to work as director general of the Directorate Sports Punjab on a current charge basis, a BPS-20 post, while bypassing a grade-19 officer already holding the said post as an additional charge.

Information gleaned by Dawn revealed that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had issued a directive to appoint Athar Saeed Butt (BPS-18) acting director general (DG) “by following rules and sticking to merit”.

The charge had been held by Khawar Shah, a grade-19 officer having the designation of the Punjab Sports Board managing director, ever since ex-DG Brig Farooq Yaqoob repatriated to the army some two months ago.

Secretary Sports Munawar Abbas confirmed the directive and claimed that the appointment had been made in line with rules. “We can appoint any officer against any post on a current charge basis,” he said.

Asked if Khawar, being a senior officer, had not the first right to the top office, the secretary said since he (Khawar) was working on deputation in the Sports Board as managing director and came from the Directorate Sports Punjab, he could not hold this charge.

But when informed that he had already been holding the post on an additional charge basis, the secretary said it was the decision of the sports minister, Tanveerul Islam, to give Khawar the charge of DG.

It is interesting to note that both the directorate and the sports board have been working under the secretary sports and there is no question of deputation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Task Force head Mrs Niva Usman differed with the stance of the secretary and told Dawn that appointment of a junior officer against a ‘big’ post was a wrong decision which she would probe.

She said after assuming the charge she had been facing problems as some files were missing from her office.

Niva said the Sports Board had become a hub of corruption and the chief minister’s anti-corruption team would launch an inquiry into irregularities to expose the officials involved in it.

Sources said Khawar had come under fire after conducting an inquiry against ex-DG Farooq Yaqoob in the case of alleged irregularities in the National Hockey Stadium renovation project.