ISLAMABAD: The recruitment of retired and serving military officials on civilian positions in the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) was an injustice with the youth, opposition members of the Senate said as they renewed their demand for access to such information before a minister equated the query to “hatred for the armed forces”.
In the past two years, several military officials have grabbed important government positions, which have traditionally been under the civilian domain.
Just in February last year, Bilal Saeedullah Khan, a retired brigadier, was appointed director general of Nadra, forcing the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to serve notices on the Ministry of Interior and top Nadra management.
Some diplomatic positions, which have largely been held by civilians since independence, have been taken over by the servicemen as well. In January 2021, the government appointed retired Gen Bilal Akbar to the post of Saudi Arabia ambassador.
The Senate Tuesday witnessed a heated debate over the recruitment of members of the armed forces in Nadra, and other state bodies, with members from the opposition benches calling for specific details.
The matter was previously discussed on December 29 when Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed complained he had specifically asked for the number of former military men rehired in Nadra but was instead given a general figure that the authority has 13,997 staff in total.
“I had questioned how many people are on deputation in Nadra and how many retired armed forces personnel are working in the agency,” said Ahmed.
“I asked this question because unemployment in Pakistan has surged, per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The youth are not getting employment and on the other hand, we are specifically recruiting retired personnel of the armed forces in good positions,” he said.
At this, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani said Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid was “probably the minister in charge of answering” the question.
“A strange tradition has been set here that apart from one or two federal ministers no one else comes to the parliament to answer questions,” Rabbani, a former Senate chairman, lamented.
He then requested the Senate chairman to compel ministers concerned to answer the questions raised in the parliament regarding their departments.
Responding to Senator Ahmed’s question, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan repeated the answer he provided in the previous session, suggesting that a fresh query be submitted over the specific issue of rehiring retired servicemen.
At this, the senator insisted the question he previously submitted was specifically regarding military hiring, but the minister also maintained the question he received was only about deputations in general.
“Why don’t you [admit] that you have hired dozens of retired armed forces personnel and you don’t want to take their names in the House?” Ahmed asked.
“You have hired many more personnel of the army, air force and navy in very prestigious positions in Nadra. The whole Nadra is in their (armed forces’) control and our youth are wandering around jobless.
The state minister said that the government had nothing to hide and “everything is on record”.
Khan further said that only six employees were working in the body on deputation. They were being paid salaries in their basic pay scale (BPS) issued by their parent departments with the addition of 10 percent headquarters and utility allowances and 20 percent deputation allowance.
“We will give you an answer. The armed forces defend this country and are responsible for security then what can be the reason for such hate [against them]?” Khan asked.
“We are not at all against the armed forces but we are against this concept of militarisation of civil authority. That is inappropriate. We are standing with Pakistan Army as far as their constitutional role is concerned and we are with them but we are against the militarisation of civilian institutions,” Rabbani said.
TWO ORDINANCES LAID
Meanwhile, two ordinances including the Diplomatic and Consular Officers (Oath and Fees) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, and Islamabad Capital Territory Trust (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, were laid before the House.
On behalf of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Khan laid the Diplomatic and Consular Officers (Oath and Fees) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, as required by clause (2) of Article 89 of the Constitution.
Khan also laid the second ordinance on behalf of the interior minister.
