ISLAMABAD: Officers of Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) are ruling the roost in various subsidiary companies to some extent in violation of the rules as heads of these companies have not been appointed from last one and a half year, sources said.
According to sources, instead of appointing regular and permanent heads of Pakistan Software Export Board, Telecom Foundation, Telephone Industry of Pakistan and Universal Service Funds, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication under the leadership of State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rehman has appointed blue-eyed persons against top slots to run the affairs of these companies; however these officers are meeting the targets assigned to them.
The sources also said that though Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has rejected the summaries seeking an extension to the services of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman, and of various officials, however, state minister is hopeful to secure extensions in the job contracts of blue-eyed officers.
Documents available with Pakistan Today disclose that MoIT Joint Secretary Syed Abrar Hussain, (BS-19/PAS) was appointed as acting Pak Data Com Company Managing Director (MD) on January 9, 2017, but later withdrew the notification on July 24, 2017. Similarly, MoIT Director Telecom Yasir Qadir was appointed as Telecom Foundation acting MD to look after the day to day workings.
As per sources, state minister is working hard to pave the path for the privatisation of billion rupees worth profitable companies in the telecom sector. And allegedly to meet the target the minister has secured the appointments of favourite officers in various companies. Moreover, permanent appointments on top posts of various companies are not made despite passing almost one and half year only to avoid any opposition to the privatisation of these companies.
“It is surprising that profitable companies with billions of rupees worth of assets are being run by the officers of Information and Telecommunication Ministry as top slots are filled on an ad-hoc basis. Also, these officers while working as acting heads of the companies have also become members of their boards,” said sources.
Official sources at MoIT on anonymity revealed that job contract of Member Legal Ameena Sohail expired one month back. But, she has continued her job on the verbal advice of state minister and MoIT secretary Rizwan Bashir Khan. They said MoIT is likely to give a one-year extension to the job contract of Ameena Sohail and also to the job contract of Member IT Raza Shah after getting premier’s consent in this regard.
Moreover in the near future notifications will be issued to this effect by the IT Ministry after getting the approval of the prime minister. The job contract of Raza Shah is about to expire very soon, they added.
The sources also said that these officers are getting salaries from the ministry and also from the companies where they are posted. They said Syed Abrar Hussain is getting salary from the government as federal government employee while he is also getting salary worth above Rs 0.3 million from the Pak Data Com Ltd (PDL), which is sheer violation of the regulations.
Available copy of pay slip of Syed Abrar Hussain issued by Pak Data Com Ltd said that he is getting net pay of Rs 306,131 as MD with employee code 000287. Fixed pay is Rs 350,000 and dearness allowance is 10 per cent as of July 2017 on fixed pay worth Rs 19,250. And, in total, Syed Abrar Hussain is getting Rs 306,131 monthly.
Despite repeated attempts, IT Ministry spokesman, former Member Legal Ameena Sohail, PDL acting MD Syed Abrar Hussain and MD TF Yasir Qadir did not respond to calls of this scribe.
