ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul withdrew the letter she had written to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) pertaining to her sister after the Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed her to do so on Sunday.
Gul claimed that the letter issued to the Nacta was merely a notification and was not written to influence the institute. She claimed that the aim of her letter was to tell the authorities that the curriculum vitae (CV) of her sister has reached the authority’s office.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Zartaj Gul to withdraw her letter requesting appointment of her sister Shabnam Gul in the Nacta.
It is noteworthy that Zartaj Gul’s Principal Staff Officer Samiul Haq had written the letter to Secretary Interior on February 27, 2019. “I am directed to refer to your telephonic conversation with Ms Zartaj Gul, Minister of State for Climate, regarding the appointment of Ms Shabnam Gul in Nacta. The CV of Ms Shabnam Gul is attached herewith for further necessary action please read the letter.”
Subsequently the Interior Ministry appointed Ms Shabnam Gul as Director (BS-19) in Nacta on May 22, 2019. -- INP
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday took notice of the appointment of sister of State Minister Zartaj Gul to the Nacta, following a sharp reaction on media on the government claim of following strict merit policy.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Naeemul Haq tweeted that the prime minister had directed Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul to withdraw a letter she wrote to Nacta with regards to her sister’s appointment. “This was against the ethics of PTI, which has always opposed nepotism. No one in the PTI government can promote their relatives/friends by using their positions," he said in the tweet.
The Nacta has claimed that State Minister Zartaj Gul s sister Shabnam Gul was appointed as Counterterrorism body-s director on the basis of merit.
In its clarification statement Nacta said that it received a total of 12 requests from employees of different federal and provincial government departments working in BS-17 to 19 for posting in Nacta on deputation basis.
A three-member committee interviewed the applicants on May 14 for vacant posts of assistant directors, deputy directors and directors and cases of six out of 12 candidates were recommended to be sent to Establishment Division according to a statement issued by the Nacta.
Ms Shabnam Gul was one of the selected candidates. The committee recommended her purely on merit for posting against one of the vacant posts of directors as she is already working in BS-19 it clarified.
It added Shabnam Gul is a PhD scholar with several papers on counter extremism and terrorism and found appropriate and relevant for research wing.
On Saturday federal government appointed Zartaj Gul’s sister Shabnam as a director of Nacta.
She was serving as an assistant professor at Lahore College for Women in Grade-18, however, all at once she was appointed as a director of the key counterterrorism body of the country.
Shabnam Gul s picture has also been posted on the website of the Nacta.