Farooq Naik gets powers to make appointments without ads, gets bullet proof car

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Finance body approves re-employment of two joint secretaries in Senate Secretariat
* Naik allowed use of bulletproof car

By Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Farooq Naik has been entrusted with the powers to appoint his personal staff and class-IV employees in the Senate Secretariat without advertising the positions in the national press.

According to documents available with Daily Times, the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) confirmed the minutes of its 11th meeting, which was held in April, with an amendment in item No 10.

“All the members supported the contention and authorised the Senate chairman to do all administrative and financial actions where necessary including appointment of his personal staff and class-IV employees without advertisement,” according to the amended item, which the committee confirmed in its 12th meeting.

The SFC also approved the re-employment of two joint secretaries to the Senate Secretariat – Abdul Sami Khan and Major ® Hamid Hassan – for a period of one year from the date of their superannuation.

The committee also approved the creation of a post of Law consultant and also approved the re-employment of Malik Dost Muhammad, a retired district and sessions judge against the said post – initially for a period of one year.

The Senate chairman is, however, authorised to extend the period of re-employment at his discretion, said the minutes of the 12th SFC meeting.

The SFC also authorised the Senate chairman to use a bullet-proof Mercedes car received from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat for ensuring his security.

The use of the bullet-proof car will be in addition to the SFC’s earlier authorisation for the Senate chairman to utilise official vehicles for inland official engagements.

The committee also authorised the Senate chairman to host functions, receptions and lunches/dinners for the Pakistani community, business entrepreneurs, parliamentarians and other groups during his official visits abroad.

Any expenditure incurred on the mentioned events will be paid as per actual bill, the committee decided.

The committee also authorised the chairman to tip drivers, security staff and waiters during his foreign visits, for which, it did not set the requirement of production of receipts.

During the meeting, the SFC was told that Rs 22.3 million were spent on foreign visits during the period from April to July 2009, which the committee approved, but maintained that such expenses should be curtailed.

The SFC also approved an expenditure of Rs 127,646 incurred on a luncheon hosted by the Senate chairman in honour of ministers and senators on April 23, 2009 and also approved the Rs 295,800 expenses on account of lunches hosted by the Senate chairman in honour of senators and ministers during the budget session.

The SFC also approved the purchase of a vehicle worth Rs 1.8 million for Leader of the House Nayyar Hussain Bukhari.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg7_1