In a rare verdict, a Pakistani court on Friday ordered the removal of a serving general of the Pakistan Army from heading a key organisation, which regulates government databases and statistically manages the sensitive registration database of all citizens of the country, stating that his appointment to the position was “unauthorised” and in violation of the rules.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) annulled the appointment of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Lieutenant General Munir Afsar on a petition filed by a citizen, Ashba Kamran.
In October 2023, Afsar became the first serving military officer to be appointed as Nadra's chairman. The appointment was initially made by the caretaker government led by the then-prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and later confirmed by the elected federal government of Shehbaz Sharif for a three-year term till 2027 in March this year.
In the petition, Kamran challenged that the appointment of Afsar was “in violation of the provisions of Nadra Ordinance, 2000” and it did not adhere “to the requirements of conducting a fair and competitive process for appointment by inviting potential aspirants”.
Justice Asim Hafiz in the verdict noted that the army general's appointment was illegal.
“Lest anyone misunderstand this, we make it clear that the appointment to any post under the government can only be made after a proper advertisement has been made, inviting applications from eligible candidates. Without holding a proper selection where all eligible candidates get a fair chance to compete would violate the guarantee enshrined under Articles 18 and 27 of the Constitution," he remarked.
“I am afraid that illegality committed by way of an unauthorised appointment, one cannot hide the elephant in a mouse-hole,” the judge noted.
The powerful Pakistan Army, which has ruled coup-prone Pakistan for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. According to experts, the LHC's decision is seen as a setback for the backers of the current regime as the military wants to have its men in important positions in civil organisations.
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