Eligibility question clouds PRA IT director’s job

ISLAMABAD: The potential extension and regularisation of Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) Information Technology Director Salman Zafar has drawn attention following questions about his qualifications and appointment history.

Official documents reveal that the PRA was established in 2012, and the post of Director IT was advertised in 2015, requiring a degree in IT or Computer Sciences. However, Salman Zafar, who holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering, was appointed in 2016 and has since secured repeated extensions. Notably, the qualification criteria were later amended to include Electrical Engineering for the position. A Finance Department inquiry observed that Zafar’s initial contract-based appointment as Director IT needed scrutiny. Records indicate his hiring was linked to the proposed establishment of Punjab Government Revenue Automation Pvt Limited (PGRAL), which never materialised. The inquiry report further notes that the position was initially created for the “Restaurant Invoice Monitoring System (RIMS)”, a project long discontinued, raising questions about the continued necessity of his role. Crucially, the original 2015 advertisement mandated a Master’s degree in Computer Science or IT-related disciplines, whereas Zafar possessed only a BSc in Electrical Engineering, making his recruitment “allegedly doubtful and illegal.” The hiring process was solely interview-based, bypassing competitive examinations. The case was referred to the Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD), which highlighted that most officers, including Zafar, did not meet the age criteria (below 35 years) for regularization. Out of 20 cases reviewed, only seven officers qualified. Deputy Secretary (Regulations) S&GAD and Deputy Secretary (SR) Finance Department emphasised that Rule 19 lacks age relaxation provisions, making regularisation legally untenable for most candidates. The committee recommended amending the rules to address this gap. Member (Support Services) PRA pointed out that while PRA rules mandate initial appointments through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), Rule 19 is silent on regularisation procedures for contract hires, creating transparency concerns.

When approached for comments, the PRA spokesperson said the Director (IT) post was created in 2014 via a Summary of New Expenditure (SNE), approved by the chief minister, and was not project-based. The position was advertised in 2015, and a transparent selection committee-comprising PRA chairperson, members, S&GAD, Finance Department, Lums, and PITB representatives-selected Zafar after rigorous scrutiny. The spokesperson asserted that the matter had been reviewed by multiple forums, including the PRA Board, SDAC and Finance Department, and was “settled at each forum.” The HR and Admin wings, which do not report to Zafar, operate under the Additional Commissioner Headquarters (ADC HQ). Despite these claims, concerns persist over qualification discrepancies, project relevance, and regulatory loopholes, casting a shadow over the push for Zafar’s regularisation.