DG AJK IT Board in the line of fire,Kashmiris have become aliens in their own state

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The pressure is mounting on Sardar Yaqoob’s administration to rid IT board from its controversial director general.
The director-general of the IT Board, Sarwar Gondal, a BPS-18 officer has served as a deputy director of the IT department in Peshawar.
He resigned --- or was forced to resign --- from the post of deputy director a few years back after his secretary -Mr Amjad Shahid Afridi- sent a corruption case against him to the Regional Accountability Bureau in Peshawar.
He now holds the BPS-20 post in Azad Kashmir, thanks to Attiq’s regime.
He was accused of awarding projects to dubious software companies to automate police station in swat and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar after receiving millions of rupees in kick backs.
But these companies did not complete the projects and left them half way.
Sardar Attiq Ahmed Khan ? the former Prime minister of Azad Kashmir imported Mr Sarwar Gondal and appointed him as director general of AJK IT board.
“He was appointed to top position despite the fact he was not eligible for the post and lacks required qualification and experience”, said an official.
He said that “his eligibility could be gauged from the fact that he miserably failed an interview for admission in M Phill programme of information and technology in Azad Kashmir University”.
“He obtained only 07 marks out of 100”, he added.
His worst performance in an interview shows that he has little knowledge about information technology yet he was given a top position in IT board.
The institution headed by an incompetent, controversial and ineligible person is responsible for enhancing and promoting computer literacy in Azad Kashmir
“The academic qualification of Mr Gondal is in question”, said another officer in Ajk government.
He said that former Prime Minister also ignored allegations of corruption and fraud against him while he was deputy director of the IT department in Peshawar.
“The appointment smacks favouritism and that he was appointed in order to please some people in Musharraf regime”, said an other official in ajk government.
“He (DG IT Board) is simply a disgrace and should be removed immediately to save the reputation of the institution”, he said.
He adds that he should not be let go before he coughs up all the money in his belly.
Many officials say that low quality material is being used in computer labs of educational institutions in Azad Kashmir.
The project has been awarded to a dubious Pakistani company and many people say that Sardar Attiq’s son has share in it.
He is accused of being involved in corruption, frauds and receiving kick backs from software companies or software vendors.
Recently an anonymous person sent an e mail to many people claiming that DG IT Board-Sarwar Gondal- owns bungalows in Islamabad and Lahore.
It said that he obtained the property through devious means.
The email also leveled charges of moral turpitude against the top officer of AJK IT board.
Many staff members also complain that “his activities, behaviour and language are not compatible with his position”.
They say that “his behaviour towards woman staff is objectionable and indecent”.
Many people in Muzaffarabad are of the opinion that Kashmir has become a grazing field for such people where they can do anything fearlessly.
People are voicing concerns against the officer and they demand that new ajk administration should rid the state from such people.
IT board is not only the example of Nepotism and favoritism in Azad Kashmir.
In many other projects such as MSRIP, the Muzaffarabad City Development Project (MCDP) and the Erra’s MRDEA project, officials have doled out jobs to non-local favorites.
Skindar-e-Azam ? a BPS-17 officer in statistical department of Pakistan has been posted as Chief Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in MSRIP project of Azad Kashmir, thanks to additional Chief Secretary of Azad Kashmir.
He does not posses the required qualification and experience for the job.
Similarly, the officer manager in Muzaffarabad city development project retired Major Rashid is another case in point.
He has forcibly occupied part of an office and turned it into personal accommodation in utter disregard of the norms, rules and regulations.
It is known fact that his appointment was made on the basis of favoritism.
Should we expect any thing from such people and departments? one of the officers posed a question.
It is an Example proof that such departments are created to dole out jobs to favourities, he said.
“Isn’t it unfortunate that we have become aliens in our own state”, thanks to October 8, 2005 earthquake.
Many Aid groups including UN organizations (UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, WHO, WFP, ILO) are accused that they have given jobs to non local favourities.
Some of these agencies especially FAO can hardly cite any example that they have given a single job to any Kashmiri from earthquake affected area despite the fact that there are more eligible people than the ones they have hired.
“Their recruiting policy is highly discriminatory towards Kashmiris and added that that they are good at an art of mendacity”, said an earthquake victim.
Officials accuse the UN agencies and many other agencies are involved in corruption, mismanagement and spoiling money on wasteful projects.
They also say some of their officers are involved immoral activities.
Officials ERRA’s MRDEA and CLRP projects are at the verge of failure as only 10 to 20 percent money have been in two years.
The duration of both the projects is 3 years.
The factors responsible for it are mismanagement, negligewnce, inappropriate use of money, appointment of ineligible people to important positions and tendency not to involve local people.
Kashmir watch Report March 20:2009