The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MoP&HRD) has constituted a three-member committee to investigate allegations against a senior officer of an attached department that he misused his official position to favour an employer.
According to a letter, secretary MoP&HRD has constituted the inquiry committee against Kashif Ahmed Noor, Director General Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment.
A private company has accused Mr Kashif of illegally verifying the authenticity of demand letter and power of attorney already attested by the Foreign Office of Poland and Pakistan’s Embassy in Poland. The company owner has also alleged Mr. Noor’s involvement in many other illegal practices.
The probe committee comprises Joint Secretary Admin MoP&HRD Shabnam Amir Khan as chairman, and members DG Human Resource Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Laeeqa Amreen and Deputy Secretary Emigration MoP&HRD Muhammad Qadeer.
According to the complaint, Major Afzal Ahmad (retired) has been running a recruiting agency in Rawalpindi since 2014 titled M/s Oxbridge Manpower Bureau. In December 2020, the company brought 200 jobs for Pakistani workers and generated automated computerized PTN in accordance with the emigration rules and applied for government permission through the government website for recruitment of 200 workers.
“Kashif Ahmed Noor, DG Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, verified authenticity of the legally attested demand letter and power of attorney (already duly attested by the Foreign Office of Poland & Pakistan Embassy in Poland),” it said, adding that he conditionally granted permission to the company to recruit only 20 workers out of 200.
According to the complaint, Mr Noor allowed recruitment of only 20 workers, as he wanted to monitor performance of the Polish employer for three months. “If the Polish employer will pay salary on time and provide other benefits to these 20 workers according to the employment contract, then upon satisfaction Kashif Ahmed Noor, DG Bureau of Emigration, will allow the company to continue recruitment of the remaining 180 workers.” It was stated that until fulfillment of this condition, the complaint said, Kashif Ahmed Noor could not allow any other recruiting agency to provide workers to “M/s Manpower Services Group Poland”.
However, as per complaint, Mr Kashif misused his official powers and secretly provided valuable business details of M/s Oxbridge Manpower Services to Ahmad Zaheer, Proprietor of M/s A.Z. Company International, Licence No: 2765/Lahore. “Maliciously, the DG facilitated Ahmad Zaheer to reach the foreign employer in Poland i.e. M/s Manpower Services Group,” the complaint said.
It further accused Kashif Ahmed Noor of violating Articles 18 & 25 of the Constitution of Pakistanand the Emigration Ordinance 1979, Rule 25 Section 2, Clause (ii) & (iv) without any hesitation or fear of accountability.
The Emigration Ordinance 1979, Rule 25 (code of conduct for OEPs), Section 2, clause (ii) clearly states, “An Overseas Employment Promoter shall avoid competition with other Overseas Employment Promoters in seeking orders for demand of workers”.
“Regrettably, Ahmed Zaheer, Proprietor of A.Z. Company International, Licence used criminal tools with the hidden support of said DG to snatch the Polish employer from M/s Oxbridge Manpower,” the complainant recalled.
Not only this, it said, the DG also violated his own stance/parameters and allowed M/s A.Z. Company International to recruit 350 workers in respect of M/s Manpower Services Group. “When Kashif Ahmed Noor came to know about the complaint against him, he immediately removed the unlawful permission grated to M/s A.Z. Company International from the government’s website. All forgery and tampering evidences are also available,” according to the complaint.
Complaints were also filed at the Pakistan Citizen Portal, principal secretary to the prime minister, and Islamabad High Court through a writ petition.
When this reporter contacted Kashif Ahmed Noor, he not only denied the allegations, but also expressed ignorance about constitution of an inquiry committee against him. He claimed that being the custodian of a public office, he did his best to facilitate people to the maximum, especially the overseas Pakistanis.
