AJK govt appoints Public Service Commission members amid questions over timing
MUZAFFARABAD: Days before its exit from power, the incumbent Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government has appointed seven members to Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Public Service Commission (PSC), the top recruitment body of AJK, a move that has raised questions about its propriety and timing. According to a notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department, the…
Muzaffarabad - As its rule came to an end, the current Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has appointed seven members to the AJK Public Service Commission (PSC). This move has sparked controversy and questions regarding its appropriateness and timing. The appointments were made under the provisions of Article 48(2) of the AJK Interim Constitution, 1974, and Section 4(3) of the AJK Public Service Commission Act, 1986.
The newly appointed members include former secretaries Munir Hussain Chaudhary, Dr Chaudhry Liaqat Hussain, and Mohammad Zahid Abbasi, all from the retired government servants quota. Additionally, Dr Abdul Qadoos Khan and Dr Abdul Hameed, both from the educationists quota, have been added. Midhat Shehzad, a former additional chief secretary, has been appointed under the women quota, while Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan, a retired medical specialist, has been added to the professionals quota.
Each of the newly appointed members will serve a three-year term and receive pay and allowances as per the guidelines set by the AJK Public Service Commission Act, 1986. The appointments are set to become effective upon their oath-taking, as per Section 4-A of the same act. Shahid Mehmood Wani, a senior leader from the opposition PML-N party and a member of the PPP's election manifesto committee, strongly objected to the timing of the appointments.
He argued that while he could not question the qualifications of the individuals, it was questionable to make such appointments at this stage in the government's life. Wani noted that a government in power, without a mandate from the people, should ordinarily refrain from making long-term decisions on institutional matters.
The AJK Public Service Commission has faced criticism for delays in its formation and allegations of political interference in its appointment process. In May 2023, the commission was left without a full complement of members eight months after its three-year term expired. The latest appointments come as the PPP government remains in office beyond the five-year term of the AJK Legislative Assembly, awaiting the completion of the election process.
The PPP has already lost its majority in these elections, with the PML-N leading the polls and set to form the next government.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
