For the first time in the history of Port Qasim Authority (PQA) a grade 20 official working as acting-director general (DG) would take over as its chairman some time this week. He has reportedly been nominated by Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Zardari.
Afsar Din Talpur, who has been working in PQA for the last 35 years, took the charge of acting DG Planning and Development about a year back following the demise of Qamar Jamil. The appointment of Talpur would be the second after Nasrin Haque, a grade-20 official from Pakistan Railways, who was made chairperson of the Karachi Port Trust last month by the PPP-led government.
According to sources, the new PQA chief will replace Rear Admiral Syed Afzal HI (M) on Friday or Saturday. His appointment is likely to be cleared by the Prime Minister before latter's scheduled departure for the US on Sunday. Asked if selection of Talpur was on merit, sources claimed that he has been nominated because he enjoys the support of Faryal, Zardari's sister.
It would be for the first time that a PQA serving official would become the chairman, as, the chairmen of PQA had always come from outside. Afsar Talpur and Nasrin Haque would first be upgraded through a "move-over" to Grade-21 and then to Grade-22 by a special committee of the prime minister, the eligibility required for the slot in question, said the sources.
About the fate of outgoing PQA Chairman Syed Afzal, who is in Islamabad to attend meeting of the National Disaster Management Cell, they said, the situation was not clear so far. They said Afzal would either replace DG Ports and Shipping Vice Admiral M. Asad Qureshi (Retd) or would have to go home. The outgoing PQA chief is the former DG of Ports and Shipping.
Another source, however, told this reporter that Qureshi was more likely to say goodbye to his office, as the retired naval officer would be retiring from his civilian office in December this year. When contacted, a PQA official said that though "speculations" were there nothing confirmed could be said about the new development. Another official termed talks of the change as "mere-rumours".