WB 'itself' made PM's relative alternate executive director
04 January, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Submitting a three-page report in the Supreme Court (SC), the federal government on Thursday contended that appointment of Raja Azimul Haq Minhas, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf, as alternate executive director of the World Bank (WB) in Washington has been made by WB itself after completing all necessary formalities pursuant to which he assumed the charge. Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Dil Muhammad Khan Alizai, filing a report on behalf of the Economic Affairs Division and the establishment, also claimed that the government of Pakistan, including the prime minister, do not appoint WB ED. The government in its report also denied that PM's son-in-law has been appointed executive director of the World Bank in Washington. "The fact of the matter is that Mr Azimul Haq has been appointed as Alternate Executive Director," said the report. It also clarified that this appointment had been made by the executive director of the World Bank after accepting the nomination forwarded to the bank. Narrating the facts, the report stated that a summary for the prime minister was moved by the Economic Affairs Division on November 26, 2012, suggesting that the Establishment Division may submit a panel of suitable officers for the appointment as Alternate WB ED for consideration of the competent authority. Accordingly, the Establishment Division proposed a panel of four qualified officers, including Raja Azim. The competent authority approved the nomination as Alternate ED of WB. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, will hear the suo motu notice case today (Friday) against the PM's son-in-law over his nomination as an alternate executive director of the World Bank. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice cognisance of the elevation of Raja Azim when he was allegedly tipped to the coveted post of WB ED by the prime minister by exercising his discretionary powers. According to media reports, the quick succession of Raja Azim to the top post in few years when he started his career in grade 18 and eventually ended up in grade 21 raised heart burning among government officials. Raja Azim, an officer of the Income Tax Group, was working in grade 18 when the PPP government came into power more than four years ago. He left this job and was hired by the EOBI in grade 20 about two years ago. Soon after Raja Pervez Ashraf assumed the PM's office, he was elevated to grade 21 and has been serving in the Prime Minister's Secretariat to date as additional secretary. End.
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