Gilani decides to remove NRO-beneficiary officers

ISLAMABAD: Some close associates of President Asif Ali Zardari have been identified by the government as among those NRO beneficiaries who are holding public offices for which they are believed to be not qualified.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to send Brigadier (retd) Imtiaz, former IB Chief, and Adnan Khawaja, the disgraced ex-chairman OGDCL and prime minister’s personal friend, to jail, the Establishment Division, on the direction of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, has prepared a list of such NRO beneficiaries.

A source in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said that the list was sent to the Law Ministry on Thursday for legal opinion in the light of the Supreme Court’s decisions and following the prime minister’s desire that all such officials/public office holders be removed to uphold merit.

It is, however, feared that in view of some important names, in view of some important names, as reflected in the list, Prime Minister Gilani might have to swallow his own words yet again.

The source said that the list contained the names of such NRO beneficiaries, who are considered ineligible to hold any public/government office because of the court’s decisions and for being absconder etc. The Law Ministry is expected to give its ruling if such public office holders should be fired from the lucrative positions they are currently holding.

Following the Supreme Court’s commendable action against Brigadier Imtiaz and Adnan Khawaja, it was Prime Minister Gilani, who had sought the list of NRO beneficiary government officers from the Establishment Division.

A notification that was issued in this regard by the PM House spokesman, quoted the prime minister as directing the Establishment Division to furnish urgently a complete list of all those NRO beneficiaries, who are presently appointed on various government positions.

He further directed that the requisite information should be submitted on top priority basis within two days. However, different media reports while quoting sources said that the prime minister intends to remove all such NRO beneficiaries, who had by passed merit and obtained their positions through political basis by getting mandate of President Zardari and the party.

It was said that the prime minister took this decision to ensure Supreme Court’s verdict that all appointment are based on good governance and merit and to wash away the volley of allegations of corruption that the government is facing.

The prime minister is facing extreme criticism for giving lucrative posts to his favourites or the blue-eyed of the president and other members of the ruling elite, thus greatly compromising the principles of good governance. The media reports also suggested, “Now the PM has decided to remove all officers himself who were NRO beneficiaries and are currently holding senior and key posts.

Sources told our sources that the removed officers would be asked to get their cases cleared from the court and new appointments would be made on these posts and in this regard the president and party have given complete authority to the PM.

(courtsey paktribune)
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