News
Saturday, April 03, 2010
FO promotes two officers facing FIA inquiry
* Zaighammudin Azam posted as envoy-designate to South Africa, Murad Ali’s service extended
By Umair Aziz
LAHORE: The Foreign Office (FO) has allegedly posted two officers – who are facing inquiries at the Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) – to senior positions in sheer violation of rules, Daily Times has learnt.
Zaighammudin Azam, a grade 20 officer, and currently the FO’s Africa division director general (DG), has been promoted to the high commissioner-designate to South Africa, while Murad Ali, a grade 19 officer and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah’s vice consul, has been given an extension in service. However, both officers are facing inquiries in the FIA for issuing an illegal emergency passport during their postings in Jeddah.
Sources said the FO had shown complete disregard for service conventions by giving senior positions to these officers. They said the post of a high commissioner to South Africa was always given to a senior officer of at least grade 21, since the establishment of diplomatic relations with South Africa.
They said according to the rules, a DG has to spend at least two years at the FO headquarters before being considered for ambassadorship. They alleged that Zaigham was called from Jeddah five months ago over complaints and has now been posted as the high commissioner, by-passing other senior officers and in violation of rules. Sources alleged that Zaigham used his “connections” in the FO to get the posting.
The sources said Vice Consul Murad’s tenure expired in September last year but he was given an extension. They said Murad was facing an inquiry for abusing authority as the vice consul, while several eligible officers were awaiting postings since two years.
The sources maintained that it was not only a “blatant” misuse of authority but was also “demoralising” for eligible and competent officers. They also alleged that the FO had received several complaints against the two officers earlier as well, but no inquiry had been initiated against them because of their “connections” with senior FO officials.
FO Additional Secretary (Admin) Ishtiaq Andrabi denied the allegations saying the FIA was not authorised to hold inquiries against FO officials. He said a departmental inquiry against the two officers on issuance of an emergency passport was held and found the issuance legal.
To a question about compromising on seniority rules, he said the first high commissioner to South Africa was a grade-20 officer. However, he refused to comment on giving extension to an officer when several eligible officers were awaiting postings. He said public interest was not involved in these postings, as transfer decision were taken by the Establishment Division.
Meanwhile, FIA Director Muazzam Jan – handling the case – confirmed that an inquiry against Zaigham and Murad was going on over issuing an emergency passport. He said the FIA was fully authorised to conduct an inquiry against any federal government employee.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk