Why is the PM and opposition dragging feet on key appointments?

The News Tariq Butt Wednesday, September 18, 2013 From Print Edition ISLAMABAD: Certain key appointments, which were expected to be made without any delay or without controversy or hassle, are unnecessarily dragging on with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif being too busy and slow on deciding these nominations. Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah has also been responsible for the deferment of some major appointments where his consensus is required as per the Constitution. The Supreme Court has urged the government more than once to name a chairman of NAB and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) so that a decision to auction 3G technology is taken. The full-time heads of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Water and Power Development Authority, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Pakistan Steel Mills, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Pakistan Television, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan and the Competition Commission of Pakistan are yet to be appointed. The apex court directed the federal government on Monday to ensure the PTA chairman’s appointment along with its members within ten days. This is the second time in the past few weeks that the court has given time to make the nomination. It remarked that it was regrettable that tremendously valuable institution of the PTA has been made ineffective and paralysed by the negligence of senior officials and management. Now the time is over as the national exchequer is facing a heavy loss due to the non-appointment of its chairman, it observed. The PTA has been in a spin for the past nine months. The Information Technology secretary told the apex court on August 20 that since January the PTA has not been functioning, adding they have written to the Cabinet Division regarding the matter but nothing has so far happened. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the PTA was virtually shut. The secretary also said that a summary has been sent to the prime minister, who has the authority to select the PTA chief. However, a new PTA chairman is eagerly awaited by millions of Internet users with the fate of licensing of 3G spectrum hanging in the balance.The nomination of a new chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is also stuck up since long. Adm (R) Fasih Bokhari was knocked out as NAB chief on May 28. The process of consultations between the prime minister and opposition leader to evolve a consensus on one name has been very slow and marred with controversies, and it is clear that both sides don’t feel any urgency to nominate the NAB chairman. As a result, dozens of fresh corruption complaints filed with NAB are pending disposal. Under the NAB law, it is only the chairman, who can order launch of fresh investigations and inquiries. Over the past few months, the two sides have exchanged names, but everyone rejected the other’s choice with the result that there has been no substantial movement forward on the appointment. In this case, the Supreme Court has also asked the government to name a NAB chief, expressing dissatisfaction over the slow process adopted to nominate him. While there has been some talk from the government and opposition, though unproductive so far, on selecting the NAB chairman, no meaningful process has even been initiated for appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after the abrupt resignation of Fakhruddin G Ebrahim in July this year. He gave in to the opposition’s criticism in the wake of the presidential election. However, unlike his two previous stints as prime minister, Nawaz Sharif is not in a hurry this time and is taking time to reach decisions on different issues and appointments. He is avoiding creating commotion. The approval of the sweeping amendments proposed in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) by a three-member committee comprising Federal Minister Zahid Hamid, Sindh Advocate General Khalid Javed Khan and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) representative Senator Dr Farough Naseem await the nod of the prime minister. These changes have been recommended to deal with the extortionists, kidnappers for ransom, target killers and mafias arrested during the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi. Unless these changes will be inserted in the ATA either through a presidential ordinance or parliamentary approval, those arrested during the present campaign are being arraigned under the old law, which has been considered flawed and defective and unable to meet the new challenge. Obviously, in the absence of full time heads, the performance of these institutions is hampered. The government is of the view that it is in the process of hiring talented and qualified chief executives for the public institutions that takes time to find the right person for the right job.