ISLAMABAD: Qaiser Khan, former Deputy Managing Director (P&E) of the erstwhile National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), now known as NGC, who had been made OSD on charges of poor performance, has intensified his criticism—this time targeting the Chairman of the Board.
In a follow-up to his earlier appeal challenging Office Order No. NTDC/CS/1004-05 dated April 22, 2025, Khan has penned another letter to senior security authorities. He states that he is compelled to raise these concerns through formal channels due to a lack of internal redress mechanisms, urging an independent investigation into the organization’s hiring practices and governance issues.
Khan has leveled serious allegations regarding the recruitment of top officials in NGC, claiming violations of merit and procedural fairness:
1. Appointment of MD NTDC/NGC:
Khan claims he was among the top 10 shortlisted candidates in the initial round of selection. However, after the Board was reconstituted and Dr. Fayyaz Chaudhery took over as Chairman, the original shortlisting was scrapped. A new advertisement was issued, but Khan alleges that despite his 18+ years of relevant O&M experience, he was excluded—while candidates with as little as one month of experience were considered.
He suggests this points to favoritism or nepotism, stating sarcastically: “It seems the requirement is either to hold a Canadian passport or to have no experience at all.” He also criticized the subsequent use of a headhunting firm, allegedly hired at the Chairman’s direction, as being biased from the outset.
2. Hiring of DMD (System Operations):
Khan noted that the age limit for applicants was reduced from 62 to 55 years after the original shortlist was discarded, which effectively excluded experienced former NTDC officials. He called this a calculated move to filter out qualified candidates and claimed: “It is the height of manipulation. They might as well paste the picture of their chosen candidate and ask for lookalikes only.”
3. Removal and Vacancy of GM HR:
The removal of the previous GM HR, Mukarram Jaffri, was carried out “in secrecy and haste” after he allegedly refused to comply with an unlawful directive. The post has remained officially vacant for over 18 months, despite completed shortlisting.
4. CSO Appointment Controversy:
A selected candidate for Chief Security Officer declined the offer, prompting a temporary appointment. However, when that individual reportedly challenged the status quo, he was dismissed. Khan says the subsequent selection violated the Board’s own 2017 rules by using a candidate list over 18 months old.
He also highlighted a staffing crisis. Despite a recruitment drive being nearly complete—including testing, results, and interview call letters—hiring was abruptly frozen due to the planned unbundling of NTDC into three entities. He alleges that senior HR officials misled the Board about the status of this process.
“Shortage of staff, especially in southern regions, has reduced operational strength to just 40%. Halting the hiring now will not only increase legal risks but deny jobs to deserving candidates who cleared all stages,” he warned.
He questioned the integrity of ongoing promotion boards, stating that key members such as GM HR and DMD AD&M are either ad hoc or on contract, and thus susceptible to undue influence.
NDA Under Duress and Claims of Intimidation: Khan also criticized the recent mandatory signing of a non-disclosure/conflict of interest agreement. He claims staff were coerced into compliance under threat of termination, quoting the Chairman as saying, “I will kick those out who refuse to sign.”
Khan argues that his own designation as an OSD—without explanation or formal charges—is a violation of Supreme Court rulings (2016 SCJ 80, 2009 SCMR 1448), and tantamount to wrongful removal. Despite this, he states he is holding back from legal recourse out of respect for the department, and is instead appealing for intervention.
ENDS
