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Thursday March 28, 2024

Alleged anomalies in KPEC: PHC’s body to take up MPA’s application at next meeting

By our correspondents
November 18, 2017
PESHAWAR: The selection committee of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) would take up application of Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ziaullah Afridi seeking action in what he alleged were illegal appointments in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC).
Well-placed sources told The News on Friday that PHC Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had considered taking up the application of the former minister Ziaullah Afridi at the upcoming meeting of the PHC’s selection committee.
The lawmaker had submitted one month ago the application in which he sought action against the illegal appointments in the KP Ehtesab Commission under Section 6 of the KP Ehtesab Commission (Second Amendment) Act 2017. Under the act, a selection committee consisting of judges of Administrative Committee of the Peshawar High Court and Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was formed. The provincial government through the act had empowered the PHC administrative committee to inquire into allegations of corruption and corrupt practices within the Directorate General of the Ehtesab Commission or any officer or employee of the Directorate General and recommend action to the competent authority in accordance with the rules and regulations.
The administrative committee was also empowered to appoint the director general of the Ehtesab Commission and monitor its affairs through the KP Ehtesab Commission (Second Amendment) Act 2017. Under the act, the committee shall also inquire into allegations of abuse of authority or misconduct by the Ehtesab Commission’s director general, commissioners, prosecutor general and director Internal Monitoring and Public Complaints Wing and after giving an opportunity to be heard in person, it
may recommend to the government or the Ehtesab Commission, as the case may be, their removal, if found guilty.
The high court was also empowered to oversee the overall performance of the Ehtesab Commission’s director general, its officers and employees without interference in its day-to-day operational matters.
Ziaullah Afridi pointed out to the selection committee that the KP Ehtesab Commission, which was established against corruption and corrupt practices, had kept mum over illegal appointments in the commission.
He claimed in the application that illegal recruitment had been made in the Ehtesab Commission and cited Brigadier Tariq’s review report 2014-16 about irregularities and illegal appointments in the commission. Ziaullah Afridi said the selection committee of the commission had failed to take action against the illegal appointments pointed out in the commission’s own report. He questioned that how come overage officials were allowed to continue in their positions.
He said one senior officer, who was a foreign national, wasn’t qualified
as per the advertisement given for the post, but he continued to work on his position.
“There are clear cases of disqualification that do not need to await outcome of scrutiny committee report or court proceedings,” the lawmaker stated in application. He submitted before the committee that he had brought the state of affairs into the notice of Chief Commissioner of Ehtesab Commission, but no response was received.
Ziaullah Afridi requested the selection committee of PHC to take cognisance of the unlawful appointments in Ehtesab Commission as it was empowered under the law to take action against the illegal acts in the commission.