Daily Times

KARACHI: The administration of the Sindh Assembly, which is considered as the August House of the province, has allegedly victimizing around 100 most senior officers by the authorities of the assembly, it has been learnt.

The total strength of the Sindh Assembly Secretariat stands at around 700 officials that include some 200 gazetted officers, of which 100 senior most who were appointed some 20 years ago are facing trouble due to one or another reason, sources have told Daily Times.

Interestingly, dozens of junior officials who were appointed in 2006 and 2007 were given multiple promotions and lucrative posts by the Sindh Assembly’s hierarchy, they said.

The senior officials who are allegedly being victimized are Khair Muhammad Gahoo, Mohammad Usman Chacchar, Maula Bux Chashar, Mohammad Mian, Syed Mohammad Ali, Aftab Ahmed Mahar, Sajid Ahmed and others.

They are being deprived of due promotions, official perks and privileges sanctioned to them according rules of business.

In January 2016, Speaker Aga Siraj Durrani on request of Secretary Sindh Assembly Ghulam Muhammad Umar Farooque relieved two officers namely Ms Anisa Niaz Ansari BS-18 and Afzal Rabbani Tiwan.

After their removal, both these officials approached the Supreme Court that gave a judgment which read as: “The Provincial Assembly shall withdraw the notification dated 4.1.2016 immediately and the applicant shall be allowed to join the provincial assembly as Urdu Reporter. She will be entitled to the salary and other perks from the day she was de-notified, which shall be released within two weeks. We direct the learned Additional Advocate General Sindh to ensure compliance of this order.”

With apex court’s judgment, Aga Siraj Durrani on October 4, 2016 issued another notification read as: “As per Honourable Court’s orders applicant Anisa Naz Ansari is allowed to join this Secretariat as Urdu Reporter BS-18 with salary and other perks from the day she was de-notified.”

According to sources, Ghulam Muhammad Umar Farooque, Secretary (BPS-21) was appointed as Assistant Research Officer (BPS-16) on January 16, 2006, and re-appointed as Assistant Secretary (BPS-17) after a gap of four months on May 24, 2006, Makhdoom Shafi Muhammad, Special Secretary (BPS-20) was appointed as Junior Translator (BPS-11) in 1988 and he was posted as Reporter (BPS-17) in December 2002 on OPS Basis. The post was regularized in February 2006 with retrospective effect December 2002 and he was placed in BPS-18 till further orders vice Aftab Ahmed Mahar who was on deputation in Sindh Secretariat.

The rapid promotions of officials including Haji Mian Muhammad Hassan Shah, Additional Secretary, Mrs Siraj Fatima, Deputy Secretary, Muhammad Qasim Mangrio, Deputy Secretary, Amolak Das, Assistant Secretary, Abdul Ghaffar Wagan, Assistant Secretary, Muhammad Habib, Assistant Secretary (appointed as Chowkidar in 1982), Usman Ali Chachar, Deputy Secretary, Syed Muhammad Abbas, Director Finance, Ms Raheela Sandelo, Assistant Secretary, Ms Muneeza Mashkoor, Deputy Secretary Librarian, Allah Bachayo Bhand, Sargent at Arms, Abdul Sattar Mahar, Superintendent, Lutuf Ali Shah, Superintendent, Muhammad Haroon, Musheer ul Hassan, Director IPR, are against the rules and procedures of the Sindh government.

When contacted, Secretary Sindh Assembly Ghulam Muhammad Umar Farooque he told Daily Times that he himself was promoted on merit and could show the documents to the media.