Federal cabinet’s decision: Now a serviceman can also become Nadra chairman

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has approved controversial rules for the appointment of chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), according to which a serviceman can also be appointed as head of this institution of extraordinary importance.

Responsible sources have shown this correspondent of Daily Jang/The News and Geo News the summary received by the Cabinet Division from the Ministry of Interior, in which filling the extraordinary position of NADRA chairman on a deputation or secondment basis has been clearly approved for inclusion in the new rules.

According to sources, the summary was sent to the Cabinet Division by Secretary Incharge Abdullah Khan Sumbal, and the cabinet members accorded approval to it. The sources also expressed surprise at this development because the process of appointing the head of a sensitive institution like NADRA had reached the names of at least three final candidates. The final candidates were former NADRA chairman Usman Mubeen, bureaucrat and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appointed acting NADRA chairman Asad Gilani, and Ahmed Kamal, associated with a private mobile phone company. However, even for this appointment, the caretaker government had to take permission from the Election Commission of Pakistan. Instead of taking permission to appoint the NADRA chairman according to merit, the caretaker government changed the rules for making this appointment. Now, the new rules have opened the doors to serving servicemen to be appointed head of NADRA.

Sources said that the caretaker government has no authority to change the rules, but this authority has been exercised.

The NADRA Ordinance clearly states that only an independent person can be appointed to this post, which means that no government official, retired officer or any secretary can be given this position.

It is worth mentioning here that NADRA has to perform the most important responsibilities with the Election Commission in the next elections. Sources say the chief election commissioner will decide whether this first most controversial decision of the caretaker government is wrong or right.