ISLAMABAD: A deputy secretary (grade 19) with the blessing of the high-ups of the Ministry of Housing and Works is holding key positions, including the post of chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF), but without the approval of the prime minister.

Being the CEO of the PHAF, Jamil Ahmed Khan is exercising financial and administrative powers of a grade 21 officer.

The officer with the backing of senior authorities of the housing and works ministry is also occupying the posts of joint secretary (BS-20) and member Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) Board without the mandatory approval of the competent authority.

Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, who is also chairman of the PHAF Board of Directors (BOD), approved the appointment of Mr Khan as the CEO PHAF. However, a senior official of the ministry said the Establishment Division after obtaining approval from the prime minister could notify the appointment.

According to documents available with Dawn, Mr Khan of the Secretariat Group was posted by the Establishment Division to the Ministry of Housing and Works a couple of years ago.

He managed to get the slot of the CEO of PHAF which at that time was a BS-21/22 post. The appointing authority for the CEO PHAF is the prime minister. Mohammad Ilyas, a BS-21 officer, was the CEO PHAF prior to Mr Khan but he was suspended owing to an illegal allotment of apartments to officers, including the secretary to prime minister, Fawad Hassan Fawad.

After the removal of Mr Ilyas in August last year, the housing ministry thrice moved a summary for the appointment of Mr Khan as the CEO which was regretted by the prime minister and the Establishment Division. The ministry was directed to send names of BS-21 officers.

In the December 2016 summary it was stated that the PHAF Board `resolved to entrust the responsibilities of CEO PHAF to Jameel Ahmed Khan, currently posted as the deputy secretary (admin) in the ministry of housing and works.` The PM Office turned down the summary saying the ofncershouldbe atleastingrade 21.

In a subsequent summary moved in March this year, the housing ministry added two of ficers of grade 20 but kept the name of Mr Khan on the top of the list.

The summary recommended Mr Khan for the position saying `the of ficer at Sr No.

1 is the director of BoD of PHAF and has also been looking after the affairs of the foundation for the last three years in the capacity of deputy secretary. He has shown impressive results and has already completed senior management course and eligible for posting against BS-20 post.

The deputy secretary was also given the charge of joint secretary ministry of housing after `forced` transfer of senior joint secretary Akhtar Jan Wazir.

Mr Wazir, a grade 21 officer, was opposing the appointment of Mr Khan as the CEO of the PHAF, sources said.

They said the housing minister had expressed displeasure over the attitude ofMr Wazir and subsequently he was posted as the senior joint secretary in the ministry of industries and production.

The housing ministry then assigned the position to Mr Khan without approval or even moving a summary to the Establishment Division.

Under the rules, the Secretariat Group falls under the administrative control of the Establishment Division and only the latter can post its officers with the approval of the prime minister. When contacted, Mr Khan admitted that minister Durrani in his capacity as the chairman PHAF BOD had inducted him as the CEO of the PHAF.

He said the BOD had approved his appointment as the CEO.

When asked why then the ministry thrice moved a summary to the prime minister, Mr Khan said since he was a civil servant the ministry wanted a formal approval from the prime minister as well. He insisted that the BOD`s approval was mandatory while the approval from the prime minister was a formality.

The PHAF Board consists of officials from different departments of the Ministry of Housing and Works, who are subordinate to senior authorities federal secretary and the minister.

The minister heads the BOD while its members are the federal secretary as deputy chairman, joint secretary, director general FGEHF and director general PWD.

The board has only one outsider officer from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).