The National Assembly sub-committee on Information Technology (IT) on Monday directed the IT Ministry to reconsider the sacked employee case of Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and a submit detailed report .
The sub-committee expressed dissatisfaction over the action that was taken against former PSEB director finance Talib Baloch over personal grudges with former PSEB managing director. IT Ministry joint secretary (JS) informed the committee that Baloch was appointed in PSEB as manager finance in 2002 but he did not have charted accountant (CA) final degree and was also overage. The JS claimed that Baloch was appointed as finance manger in disregard of merit. In 2011, the joint secretary said, the Audit raised the observation that Talib Baloch did not meet the employment criteria. Over this observation, he was initially demoted and transferred to Karachi but he failed to present joining report in Karachi. The PSEB board of directors sacked Baloch, the JS told the committee.
However, Baloch provided details of his qualification – which included CA final degree – and pleaded that age relaxation was given to him during his appointment in 2002. He informed the committee that his complete details were not provided to Audit officials that was why they raised some observation about his qualification.
He told the committee that former PSEB MD Zia Imran had made more than 400 illegal appointments in the organisation without any advertisement. Baloch also claimed he was victimised because he exposed former MD’s corruption. He said his degree was given to FIA for verification and the agency provided a detailed report.
The JS also informed the sub-committee that there were 26 allegations against the former PSEB MD Zia Imran and the IT Ministry would take action accordingly. “Talib Baloch was sacked because he was transferred to Karachi and he could not join there,” he told the committee.
Convener Muhammad Akhtar Kanju was of the view that as there were no corruption charges against Baloch and he fulfilled the required qualification criteria and had been serving the organisation for the last 10 years, therefore, he asked the IT Ministry to reconsider his case.