PEMRA issues rejoinder to look-after bureaucrats report

ISLAMABAD: Pemra on Friday issued a detailed rejoinder to a story in The News headlined, “Pemra disfigured by look-after baboos on all posts”. It said the news reflects that probably some disgruntled elements have misled this leading newspaper by providing exaggerated and deceptive information just to tarnish the image of the organisation for their personal gratification of ill wills.

Pemra gave the following account:

1. Dr Abdul Jabbar is working as Executive Member appointed by the President of Pakistan under Section 6 & 7 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 (Amendment Act 2007) vide notification dated 27th July 2009 while he was allowed the charge of Chairman PEMRA vide Ministry of Information & Broadcasting notification dated 14-5-2011 after the resignation of the then Chairman Mr Mushtaq Malik. He is not holding the posts of DG (Human Resource) (no such post exists in PEMRA while he is not DG (Technical) (the post is vacant) as alleged in the news item.

2. Moreover, Dr Abdul Jabbar did not elevate any blue eyed to higher position nor did he bestow any out of way perks/ privileges to any officer in PEMRA during his tenure as alleged in the story.

3. However, look after work was assigned to some of the officers who are already in promotion zone. It was done in all fairness and in interest of the organization as a stop gap arrangement in view of the austerity measures and the ban imposed by the Federal Government on recruitment vide notifications dated 17-8-2011 & 26-07-2012. Moreover, the decision of regular promotion or holding Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) rest with full time Chairman to promote officers to the next grade which present Look After Chairman could not have done.

4. Provision for the stop gap arrangement/ Additional/ Current charge is available in Regulation 51 & 52, Part XII of PEMRA (Employees-Service) Regualtions-2008 amended in 2011. These provisions are reproduced as under:

5(i). Additional charge of an equivalent post.— (1) If a post falls vacant and it is not possible to fill it immediately in the prescribed manner, the work of the post should, as far as possible, be distributed among more than one employee of the same status and designation.

5(ii). Current charge of a higher post.— (1) Where a temporary vacancy occurs for not more than six months or when a regular vacancy occurs and no arrangement for carrying out the day to day routine work of the post is possible, the charge of the vacant post may, with the approval of the authority competent to make appointment to that post, be given temporarily, in addition to the duties of his own post, to the senior and suitable employee in the cadre present at the place if he is otherwise fit and eligible for promotion.

1. DG (Policy) is looking after the activities of Finance wing. No sanctioned post of DG (Finance) exists in PEMRA. Similarly, there is however, no sanctioned post of DG (Monitoring) in PEMRA. Rather, Monitoring wing is part of the Operations because its close relevance and that is supervised by a Deputy General Manager. There is also no post of GM (IT) in PEMRA as alleged in the news item. Rather IT wing is part of the Technical wing which is being supervised by GM (Technical).

2. The news regarding allocating two posts i.e. Secretary to Authority and GM Admin is self contradictory because it is also mentioned in the very own news that Mr Sohail Asif is working as Secretary to the Authority and Mr Khurram Siddiqui is looking after as GM (Admin).

3. All the officers who alleged to have been given look after charge are regular PEMRA employees since the inception of PEMRA and have almost 11 years of hands-on experience of PEMRA’s regulatory affairs and they too have previous track record of professional employment before joining PEMRA. As clarified earlier, the charge of vacant posts was entrusted upon these regular employees under the legitimate provisions of PEMRA Service Regulations and these employees are not only well qualified but fully competent and conversant with the entrusted assignments. They have served PEMRA on various positions since PEMRA’s inception. The charge even not benefit them in any monetary term as they have been getting all perks and privileges of their actual post and not a single penny is provided to them by PEMRA for the extra work done. This speaks of their commitment and loyalty to the organization purely in pursuance of austerity measures.

It is very unfortunate that the leading newspapers of national repute did not even found it relevant to verify the veracity of material before publishing. This is not only amount to harming ones integrity and repute besides putting impartiality of media house at stake.

The News