ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: The government conceded on Thursday that Nadra chairman Tariq Malik had been sacked without a show-cause notice having been giving to him, but insisted that the decision was in line with terms and conditions of his contract.

Interior Ministry’s Additional Secretary Athar Sial told the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior that the contract could be ended by either side after giving a one-month notice or paying one month’s salary.

“Since the government was ready to pay one month’s salary, there was no need to serve any notice.”

Mr Sial claimed that Mr Malik had been appointed as chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority without a fair competition and the then prime minister had approved special terms for him.

The response, which came after a bit of hesitation on the pretext that the matter was sub judice, failed to satisfy the committee and some of its members asserted that no executive order could override constitutional and legal provisions.

Retired Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of the MQM pointed out that under Section 3(12) of the Nadra Ordinance, the chairman could only be removed on grounds of mental illness.

The committee was of the view that the apparent mala fide decision of the government was linked to verification of thumb impressions of voters of a constituency in Lahore.

At least two members of the committee said that Mr Malik was sacked for refusing to obey illegal orders.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not attend the meeting.

Nadra chairman Tariq Malik, who had been invited to the meeting, told the committee that the termination letter had been delivered at his residence at 1.30am on Wednesday.

Describing the government move as operation ‘Midnight Jackal’, he said it came the day he was to brief Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on pro-poor management and subsidy system. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah took the briefing on behalf of the chief minister.

He said his subordinate Brig Zahid Hussain had informed him about the termination of his contract and instructions of the interior secretary to hand over the charge to him.

Mr Malik said no senior official, including the interior secretary, was available on phone to confirm the sacking, and left him with no option but to approach the court.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Talha Mehmood, said Brig Hussain had faced two inquiries and he was found guilty in one. “How can such a controversial person replace the head of an authority with unblemished credentials?”

He sought reports of the two inquiries at the next meeting of the committee on Dec 11.

Mr Malik confirmed that he had received threatening phone calls and also a letter which warned him against verifying thumb impressions of voters in some Punjab constituencies and he reported the matter to the interior ministry.

The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Interior informed the committee that the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau had been asked on Nov 23 to carry out a thorough investigation, but their reply was awaited.

The committee decided to summon officials of the two agencies at the next meeting for information about the status of investigation and directed the interior ministry to provide appropriate security to Mr Tariq Malik.