ISLAMABAD: A petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) claimed that the incumbent Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) concealed facts to become eligible for the position he currently holds.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar hearing the petition issued notices to the secretaries Establishment Division, Inter-Provincial Coordination, DG PSB and others and sought a report till Nov 9.

The petitioner, Amjad Farooq Warriach, through his counsel Naveed Malik contended that he was one of the 22 candidates who applied for the post.

According to the counsel, an advertisement was published inviting applications for post of director general and qualifications and experience were prescribed to be 10-year experience in the field of management and administration and five-year experience in a supervisory capacity.

Petitioner says DG concealed facts to become eligible for the post

He stated that Shuaib Khoso submitted a resume with false credentials.

He included within the resume sports events which did not happen and events that he did not participate in.

He submited that Khoso had stayed abroad for most part of 2007 to 2022 and did not possess the requisite credentials and experience for the job.

Notwithstanding lack of experience, he was granted marks for qualifications and experience. Even with such marks, he landed at the bottom of a total of eight shortlisted candidates, advocate Malik added.

He added that a Selection Committee was constituted which was chaired by Ehsanur Rehman Mazari, ex-minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, in the capacity of the president PSB.

Khoso was appointed as executive member of PSB in exercise of authority by the minister under Section 9 of the PSB Constitution in 2022 as he was a close friend of the minister, said the counsel.

It was due to the influence exercised by Mr Mazari that the credentials and experience of Khoso were not verified and he was given marks for qualifications and experience which he did not deserve.

Subsequently, during the interview, Khoso was given extraordinary marks and other candidates were given lesser marks to ensure that the aggregate marks of qualifications, experience and interview were such that Khoso came to the top of the merit list, the counsel argued.

He stated that Khoso was not qualified in accordance with the criteria mentioned in the advertisement and had been appointed on the basis of nepotism.

The court issued notices to the respondents for Nov 9 and directed them to file a report and para-wise comments within a period of 10days.

The court also asked Khoso that he may file any para-wise comments, if he so wished.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2023