ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday appointed Lt Gen (retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi as new defence secretary. He will assume the most powerful bureaucratic assignment on November 28.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani did not extend the contract period of present Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Athar Ali, who’s one-year extended period ends on forthcoming Monday. Sources say Gilani took the decision to send Athar Ali home in view of demands from several circles that the policy of extension on such appointments would not bode well. The other view is that both Ather Ali and his boss Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar are responsible ible for crisis in the PIA.
Lodhi, who retired from the Pakistan Army as Corps Commander Bahawalpur, hails from Multan, the hometown of Prime Minister Gilani, and has strong political links with the PPP leadership through his in-laws. Lodhi had conducted the inquiry in the notorious NLC case but retired early this year before the report was finalised.
Though the NLC report prepared and sketched out by Lt Gen (retd) Lodhi has not yet seen the light of the day, Opposition Leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan has been airing his demand to handover the report and make it public.
“Presently, the summary of evidence is being finalised by concerned military authorities dealing with the NLC case and once this summary of evidence is finalised a formal trial of all the accused will be commenced with the prosecution side to lay before the court, most likely court martial, the evidence against the alleged culprits,” an informed official told The News on Thursday.
INP adds: Prime Minister Gilani also approved the appointment of two other new federal secretaries in the ministries of railways and national regulation and services division. Muhammad Arif Azeem, who was secretary in the Board of Investment, has been appointed as secretary railway board, while incumbent Secretary Railway Board Javed Iqbal has been directed to report to the
Establishment Division.
Javed Iqbal had gone on leave in protest against initiation of investigation by NAB. Another officer of the Secretariat Group Ghulam Rasool Aphan has been appointed National Regulation and Services Division secretary and promoted to BS-22.
