ISLAMABAD: As the tug of war between federal and state ministers at Ministry of Science and Technology continues, the ministry has only suspended a keypunch operator for the alleged tampering of records in the appointment of six officials.
At least six officers of BPS-17, as alleged by Mir Dostain Khan Domki, the state minister for science and technology, were appointed through tempering record of their written test in which they had not secured the required numbers. However, they, being blue-eyed of the high-ups in the ministry, were recruited at Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), a subordinate organisation of the ministry, on the basis of tempered results.
According to a notification, a copy of which is available, “PSQCA Key Punch Operator Farrukh Talal was suspended after an investigation by a committee which found the operator tempering two candidate cases of BPS 17 who obtained 40 marks in NUST test. However, he tampered marks from 40 to 42 in the NUST test report. Besides, four candidates of Sindh obtained 44 marks as per NUST result sheet, however, the operator included only one candidate and three candidates were not called for interview.”
The state minister, who submitted resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in protest against the appointment of Rana Tanveer Hussain Khan as federal minister of science and technology, had initiated an investigation against the appointment of such officials in the ministry. As Domki continued voicing against the illegal appointments and unabated corruption in the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), the ministry has recently suspended a computer operator for his alleged role in record tempering.
Interestingly, neither any action has been taken against those involved in the tempering process nor the appointments have been cancelled. Apparently, to give a cover to the entire process of appointment which was completed this month, insiders claim, Ghulam Umar Qazi, who allegedly facilitated the tempering as PSQCA Secretary, was given the portfolio again recently by Minister Rana Tanveer.
Domki, whose resignation has not been accepted by Prime Minister, has alleged that following his exit from the ministry, 35 appointments in grades to 17 and above were made in PSQCA.
According to Domki, the process was already initiated, but while finalising the lists the PSQCA administration tampered with the final list. He has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to look into the matter.
Domki tendered his resignation on November 27, saying that the current federal minister was given charge of the ministry just as he launched an investigation into corruption at the ministry, including in the National Testing Service (NTS), to stop his “struggle against corruption”.
Rana Tanveer served as science and technology minister before he became minister for defence production. He was appointed science and technology minister again recently, with an additional charge as defence production minister.
PSQCA, in a statement, had earlier tried to clarify that all appointments made in the Authority recently were by following all the applicable government rules along with observance of provincial quotas. The top candidates, passing the NUST conducted test, were called in the interview against a given post. The process remained transparent and candidates have been selected and appointed purely on merit basis.
