By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) on Tuesday extended the employment contract of its Director IT for another year, despite the expiry of his tenure on May 31, 2025.
Read Also: PRA IT Director’s contract ends amid ongoing probe into questionable appointment
Interestingly, the extension has been granted before the submission of a report by the scrutiny committee that was formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the Director IT’s original appointment.
The appointment was initially made in 2016 based on an advertisement published in 2015. According to the advertisement, a master’s degree in computer science or a related field was mandatory for the post. However,the IT Director holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, raising questions about his eligibility. Moreover, the advertisement required 7 to 10 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years as a programmer — qualifications he allegedly did not possess at the time.
These discrepancies came to light in January 2024, when a high-level scrutiny committee was constituted to review the regularization of contract staff in the PRA. The committee pointed out that the original appointment required further investigation.
In January 2025, the PRA formed a fact-finding committee headed by Commissioner (Gujranwala) Zaigham Abbas, who later stepped down due to other commitments. Subsequently, on February 6, 2025, a new committee was formed under the chairmanship of Director (Policy) Ms. Ayesha Ranjha, with Commissioner (Multan) Amjad Bashir and Additional Commissioner (Headquarters) Muhammad Arif as members.
The committee was instructed to submit its report within 14 days. However, despite holding several meetings, the report has yet to be finalized. Reportedly, the committee could not reach a conclusion regarding the educational qualifications and experience criteria.
When contacted, a PRA spokesperson confirmed that the report has still not been received.
