ISLAMABAD: In defiance of the Supreme Court`s instructions regarding restrictions on reappointment of retired government officials, the PML-N government is filling top positions in various institutions by appointing retirees on lucrative salaries, Dawn has learnt.

Recently, the government appointed some retired officials on a contract basis or extended the terms of some who had reached superannuation.

Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who retired in December, had taken a firm stance against reappointment of government officers who had completed service afterreaching the age of 60. However, the government is violating the instructions of the apex court.

The former chief justice had given these orders while hearing the Haj corruption case in 2012.

During the tenure of the PPP government, while deciding on a petition of PML-N leader Khwaja Asif, the apex court struck down many such appointments that had been made by the caretaker government on a contract basis.

Information Minister Pervez Rashid said the government was not violating any rules while appointing officials to important posts. `Those who are being appointed by the prime minister are neither our relatives nor are they the favourites of any leader of the ruling party,` he said.

The minister said the govern-ment was appointing officials purely on merit. `The government is in search of dedicated and committed professionals to fill top vacant positions and the prime minister is considering nothing but merit and eligibility.

On Monday, the government appointed a retired bureaucrat, aged over 65, Chaudhry Kabir Ahmad Khan, as managing director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in the MP-II scale, on a contract basis for a period of two years, according to the notification issued by the Establishment Division.

Chaudhry Kabir started his career as a first class magistrate and worked in Sheikhupura and Lahore from 1974 to 1983, serv-ing different positions. He was appointed legal consultant in the National Accountability Bureau and served from September 2006 to 2008 in Peshawar and Lahore.

In Dec 2008, he was appointed consultant/adviser administration at the Office of the Ombudsman Punjab, Lahore.

Similarly, last week, the prime minister extended the term of the chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Aftab Sultan, who was to retire after reaching the retirement age. He was reportedly asked by the prime minister to continue until the `reforms` being introduced in the spy agency were implemented.

The government also reappointed retired official Zafarullah Siddiqui in the PTDC, which is presently working underthe ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination since the ministry of tourism devolved to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

Earlier, he had been made the managing director of the Malam Jabba resort. The resort was destroyed in a terrorist attack and he is presently serving as a consultant on a hefty package.

Two government organisations published advertisements in national dailies last Sunday inviting applications for some posts for which people aged even between 60 and 65 years can also apply.

A source in the Establishment Division said that usually government organisations advertise in such a way that they would benefit only the blue-eyed boys whomthe government wanted to appoint on specific positions.

The Ministry of Planning, Development & Reforms published an advertisement for its Pak-China Economic Corridor Support Project and out of 31 posts, three (MP-I posts) are those in which people of 65 years of age can apply. They are project director, business process specialist and the head of the cell in the Prime Minister`s Office.

Another advertisement published by a government-run organisation required a senior communications specialist and editor newsletter, magazines, press releases,reports and documents, having a maximum age of 60 years, at the monthly salary of Rs200,000 and Rs150,000 respectively.