Credibility of Intelligence Reports?

Role of agencies in appointment, promotion assailed
By Amir Wasim
Dawn, January 24, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Acting Senate Chairman Jan Mohammad Jamali on Tuesday criticised the role of intelligence agencies in the promotion and appointment of officers in the civil services and called for a system based on merit.

He made these remarks when senators from the treasury and opposition jointly voiced their concern over the government policy of ignoring officers from Balochistan for appointments and promotions.

Pointing out the faulty method of preparing “I-reports”, Mr Jamali said he did not even smoke but one such report declared that he was a drunkard.

“The country cannot run on these lines. Justice needs to be done to run the country,” he added.

Earlier, during the question hour opposition senators staged a token walkout to protest against the alleged discriminatory attitude towards the people of Balochistan.

The issue came under discussion when in response to a question of the MMA Senator Ismail Buledi, the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi told the Senate that out of 262 officers promoted from BS-19 to BS-20 during the last five years, only 14 belonged to Balochistan.

Similarly, there were only three officers from Balochistan among 154 officers who got promotions from BS-20 to BS-21 during the last five years.

The minister in response to another query told the house that there was only one BS-21 officer of the District Management Group having Balochistan domicile, presently posted as acting secretary in the parliamentary affairs division of his ministry.

These replies created uproar in the Senate when several opposition and treasury members, mostly from Balochistan, took the floor and started criticizing the minister when he claimed that promotions were being made on merit and in accordance with the rules.

The opposition members regretted that out of a total 52 federal secretaries, there was only one man from Balochistan province and he too has been working as an acting secretary. How you can say Balochistan is part of Pakistan, said Buledi.

Raza Mohammad Raza of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) said the data provided by the minister was a proof that injustice is being committed with the people of Balochistan.

Another PkMAP Senator Abdul Rahim Mandokhel demanded that provinces’ share in the federal income should be distributed on the basis of poverty and not population.

Dr Abdul Malik criticized the promotion of 10 army majors to secretary level who, he alleged, have not even cleared the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) exams.

The MMA Senator Kamran Murtaza said that retired generals and their relatives have been occupying all key posts in the country at the cost of merit and provincial quota.

Joining the opposition members, ruling party senators Pari Gul Agha, Wali Muhammad Badini, Rehana Yahya Baloch and Nisar Memon also drew the attention of acting chairman towards this injustice with the people of Balochistan.