KARACHI, Feb 14: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has rehired a 74-year-old retired group captain of Pakistan Air Force on a two-year contract to serve as the administrator of its schools and college till April 2014, according to sources.

The sources said that M.A. Samad Khandkar, who was born on Jan 3, 1938, had joined the CAA on Dec 24, 1987, and had retired on Aug 31, 1993. Since then the authority had been hiring and rehiring him on contracts after contracts.

Once he proceeded on leave before his contract was to terminate, but he managed once again to get the contract. The time that he had gone on leave had also been regularised.

The sources said the CAA even put advertisements in the newspapers — on Jan 26, 2011, to be specific — to recruit a young person for the job, but then again the retired group captain managed to sneak in and succeeded in getting yet another contract.

The sources said that in November of 2010 he was informed that his contract would be terminated in January, 2011. He proceeded on leave and subsequently the job was advertised in newspapers.

A few days later, the then CAA director general, Nadeem Yusufzai, was sent back to his parent organisation PIA, and the CAA’s deputy director general, Air Vice Marshal Riaz-ul-Haq, who was working as the acting DG, gave Mr Khandkar a contract for one year, till April 2012.

After the expiry of this contract his term through another contract was extended for two more years — till April 2014.

The sources said that on Nov 1, 2012, Nadeem Yusufzai, who in the meantime had again been posted as the CAA’s DG, terminated the contract of the septuagenarian retired air force official. However, on Nov 5, 2012, Air Marshal (retd) Khalid Chaudhry was once again posted as authority’s DG and he on Nov 8, 2012, restored the contract of Mr Khandkar.

In his Nov 2, 2012, letter to the Defence Ministry, the CAA’s acting general manager HR, Mohammad Latif, regarding Samad Khandkar said: “Initially appointed w.e.f 1st July 1997 as administrator CAA Schools, thereafter his contract was continuously being extended. Lastly his contract was extended for two years w.e.f April 7, 2012 to April 6, 2014, but the said contract has been terminated w.e.f Nov 2, 2012.”

The Nov 8, 2012, letter of Samar Rafiq of CAA’s HR on the issue said: “Samad Khandkar will continue to be administrator CAA Schools and College till April 2014. The period of absence of Mr Khandkar from Nov 1, 2012, till his re-joining the duty is hereby regularised as leave. This is issued with approval of DG CAA.”In his Nov 15, 2012, communication to the Defence Ministry CAA’s Mr Latif referring to his Nov 2 letter said: “It may be stated that the letter of termination of contract appointment of Samad Khandkar has been withdrawn by CAA and he has resumed his duties as administrator CAA schools and college with effect from Nov 8, 2012.”