KPEC becomes functional after appointment of acting DG

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) has become functional after the appointment of Brigadier (Retd) Muhammad Sajjad as its acting Director General.

The work at the KPEC came to a halt about 14 days ago when its first Director General Lt Gen (R) Mohammad Hamid Khan resigned after developing differences with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provi ncial government over the amen dments to Khyber Pakhtu nkh wa Ehtesab Commission Act.

Official sources said the KPEC didn’t have any rules for the appointment of an acting director general. The sources said that the provincial government in a hurry formulated the rules for the appointment of the acting director general because the KPEC’s work came to a standstill after resignation of Lt Gen (r) Hamid Khan.

The sources said the acting director general was appointed as per rules and he would work till the appointment of a regular director general.  The Chief Ehtesab Commissioner on February 24 under section 12(9) of the KPEC Act, 2014 read with rule 3 of the KPEC Director General (Temporary) (Terms and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016 appointed Brigadier (R) Muhammad Sajjad as acting Director General. He was performing duty as Director Human Resource Wing of the KPEC.

The notification stated that the acting director general shall not be entitled to claim salary and prerequisites other than stipulated in his original contract of service for performing the duties of the director general.

Under the law, the KPEC has to appoint the director general within 120 days after the post becomes vacant.An official said that the government would soon frame rules for the appointment of a regular director general.

The former director general, who was appointed in October 2014, has cited multiple reasons including the amendments to the KPEC Act 2014 for his resignation submitted on February 10. However, the provincial government said it tried to remove loopholes from the law by making the amendments to it.

The former director general stated that the KPEC during his tenure conducted 90 inquiries and 43 investigations followed by 13 references.Following the amendments, the KPEC is now bound to complete an inquiry in 90 days and an investigation in 30 days.

An inquiry may be converted into an investigation with the approval of the KPEC’s five commissioners. A suspect will be arrested only at the stage of investigation.Another amendment stated that the persons appointed in the directorate general before the promulgation of the ordinance would be examined by a scrutiny committee to be constituted by the government.

“No inquiry will be launched on an ‘anonymous’ complaint and a fine imposed over a frivolous complaint will not be less than Rs500,000 and more than Rs2 million,” the amendment stated. On completion of an inquiry or investigation, a prosecution conference will be held in seven days. It said the conference will be presided over by Chief Ehtesab Commissioner and attended by two commissioners, director general and prosecutor general.It said the conference would determine the charges to be framed and references to be filed in the court and the decision would be made through majority of votes.