400 workers file court cases: resentment over new hirings in NAB

There is strong resentment among National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials over recent appointments and recruitment of over 400 employees: a number of NAB officials have gone into litigation against their management. Over 80 NAB officials have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the recruitment process under which recent appointments had been made by its chairman Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bukhari on contract basis, a NAB official said.

He said that petitioners had termed the recent appointments and recruitment process adopted for fresh appointments illegal. The recruitment process adopted for fresh appointment was expected to deprive a number of officials from their due promotions. According to the appointment criteria, the NAB can make 25 percent appointments from outside while 75 percent positions can only be filled through promotion of the existing staff, he said.

The NAB spokesperson maintained: "NAB has made all appointments according to rules and regulations." He said that under the NAB law the Chairman can appoint on contract basis. "The NAB Chairman can appoint experts, advisers on contract basis while for regular appointments, the Bureau has started a recruitment process to fill in more than 400 posts," he added. He said that when Bokhari took over as NAB chairman, the bureau was working with merely 28 percent of its sanctioned strength and immediate appointments were made on contract basis aimed to improve NAB performance.