ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday ordered action against officials responsible for alleged illegal recruitment at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), directing the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to submit a comprehensive report after audit officials revealed that appointments made without advertisement had been declared unlawful by multiple inquiries.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Acting Chairman Moin Aamir Pirzada, reviewed audit objections relating to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for the audit year 2024-25. Audit officials informed the committee that around 1,200 employees were recruited by KPT in 2012 without public advertisement and were later regularised. They said four separate inquiries had concluded that the recruitment process was illegal. Following the inquiries, show-cause notices were issued, but the employees challenged the action in the Sindh High Court.
Questioning the accountability process, the committee chairman asked what action had been taken against the officials who had authorised the illegal appointments. PPP MNA Shazia Marri questioned whether the recruits had even known that their appointments were unlawful. Senator Afnan Ullah Khan remarked that there was a possibility that the jobs had been sold.
Officials from the Auditor General’s office informed the committee that KPT had hired a private lawyer for Rs12 million before filing a Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal (CPLA).
The NAB officials said a reference had been filed and the case was currently under trial. They informed the committee that the number of illegal appointments stood at 940. KPT officials, however, said around 100 to 125 employees possessing fake degrees have been dismissed. Shazia Marri expressed dissatisfaction when NAB officials failed to provide complete details of the case, saying committee members had travelled long distances and deserved proper briefings.
The KPT officials informed the committee that “a federal minister made the appointments”. The Acting Chairman of the committee observed that employees should not suffer for decisions taken by others. Senator Bilal Mandokhail sought details of how many of the 1,200 recruits met the prescribed qualifications and how many did not. Committee member Syed Hussain Tariq said KPT had failed to provide the complete record of employees and suggested that some could even be ghost employees. Shazia Marri shared the concern, while the chairman remarked that show-cause notices appeared to have been issued to the wrong individuals. The PAC referred the matter to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, sought a detailed report and directed the ministry to take action against those responsible for the illegal recruitment. The committee also reviewed an audit objection regarding the payment of Rs1.77 billion in overtime allowances to KPT employees without proper authorisation. It directed that the matter be settled after the relevant record is verified by audit authorities.
