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Strategic Plans Division (SPD) also under pressure over political appointments
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The highly sensitive Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of the countrys nuclear command authority, which manages nuclear infrastructure and strategic assets of Pakistan, is also facing pressures for appointment of nominees of politicians and political parties.
The SPD, which has performed tremendously ever since its inception and has evolved a foolproof system to protect and secure Pakistans strategic nuclear and missile assets, is expected to fill its vacancies on political considerations.
However, Strategic Plans Division Director-General Lt-Gen (retd) Khalid Ahmad Kidwai, has directed all concerned under his command that no political pressure should be accepted while making appointments to the institution which if allowed to get politicised like other departments would create serious problems in the realm of security and protection of the countrys strategic arsenals.
Despite repeated efforts this correspondent could not talk to Lt-Gen (retd) Kidwai or SPD Director General (Security) Maj-Gen Ahmed Bilal, a confidential letter issued under the signatures of Maj-Gen Bilal to all concerned is reported to have desired that in all such cases of political appointments, they (the politicians/political parties seeking appointment of their nominees) should be politely asked to route their requests through the SPD.
ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas when approached confirmed to The News the issuance of the letter by SPD to ensure merit-based appointments free from any political influence.
Abbas said the SPD director-general (security) informed him that the said letter has been issued to different field and administrative offices of the division. The heads of these offices, he said, have been told that they should refer to the SPD cases of political influence so that no compromised appointment is made and jobs are given to those candidates who fulfil the criteria and established procedures.
All the concerned in the SPD are told that the employment of nominees of any political party in the strategic organisations should not be made and no pressure should be accepted.
It was during Nawaz Sharifs tenure when a central command and control system to manage nuclear infrastructure and strategic assets was established by creating the National Command Authority (NCA), which started functioning in March 1999. The Strategic Plans Division, which was established as a permanent secretariat of the NCA, was also created although the formal announcement in this regard was made in Feb 2000. General Musharraf during his tenure ensured that the countrys nuclear command and control system was really foolproof.
The creation of the NCA and the SPD also were important in changing the mindset inside the Pakistani nuclear structure, especially among individuals and facilities that previously had operated autonomously or with minimal oversight or auditing. The alleged actions of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan from late 1980s through the 1990s that resulted in the transfer of sensitive technologies to Iran and Libya, among other activities, are an example of the flaws in the previous oversight system.
Islamabad also developed a nuclear doctrine and communication systems that were integrated with intelligence and reconnaissance efforts and brought under the NCA to provide command and control during any crisis. Existing export control regulations were augmented, and safety and security procedures were reviewed and strengthened.
Making political appointments in such strategic institutions would be extremely dangerous.
The SPD letter acknowledged that certain politicians are approaching strategic institutions for the provision of jobs to their party loyalists in strategic organisations.
It warns that entertaining such requests would not only result in lowering of selection standards but will also adversely affect the working environments/efficiency of strategic organisations.
Furthermore, this will also politicise the strategic organisations which is not desirable, Maj-Gen Ahmad Bilal further wrote.
In the recent past, there has been some gossip about the possible shifting of the Nuclear Command and Control System from under the defence to the civil administration as an effort was made in case of the ISI. If such a thing really happens, it is feared that the NCA and the SPD would be turned into yet another PIA or railways, etc., where political appointments have ruined these national institutions, which in any case are not comparable with the kind of job assigned to the SPD.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The highly sensitive Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of the countrys nuclear command authority, which manages nuclear infrastructure and strategic assets of Pakistan, is also facing pressures for appointment of nominees of politicians and political parties.
The SPD, which has performed tremendously ever since its inception and has evolved a foolproof system to protect and secure Pakistans strategic nuclear and missile assets, is expected to fill its vacancies on political considerations.
However, Strategic Plans Division Director-General Lt-Gen (retd) Khalid Ahmad Kidwai, has directed all concerned under his command that no political pressure should be accepted while making appointments to the institution which if allowed to get politicised like other departments would create serious problems in the realm of security and protection of the countrys strategic arsenals.
Despite repeated efforts this correspondent could not talk to Lt-Gen (retd) Kidwai or SPD Director General (Security) Maj-Gen Ahmed Bilal, a confidential letter issued under the signatures of Maj-Gen Bilal to all concerned is reported to have desired that in all such cases of political appointments, they (the politicians/political parties seeking appointment of their nominees) should be politely asked to route their requests through the SPD.
ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas when approached confirmed to The News the issuance of the letter by SPD to ensure merit-based appointments free from any political influence.
Abbas said the SPD director-general (security) informed him that the said letter has been issued to different field and administrative offices of the division. The heads of these offices, he said, have been told that they should refer to the SPD cases of political influence so that no compromised appointment is made and jobs are given to those candidates who fulfil the criteria and established procedures.
All the concerned in the SPD are told that the employment of nominees of any political party in the strategic organisations should not be made and no pressure should be accepted.
It was during Nawaz Sharifs tenure when a central command and control system to manage nuclear infrastructure and strategic assets was established by creating the National Command Authority (NCA), which started functioning in March 1999. The Strategic Plans Division, which was established as a permanent secretariat of the NCA, was also created although the formal announcement in this regard was made in Feb 2000. General Musharraf during his tenure ensured that the countrys nuclear command and control system was really foolproof.
The creation of the NCA and the SPD also were important in changing the mindset inside the Pakistani nuclear structure, especially among individuals and facilities that previously had operated autonomously or with minimal oversight or auditing. The alleged actions of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan from late 1980s through the 1990s that resulted in the transfer of sensitive technologies to Iran and Libya, among other activities, are an example of the flaws in the previous oversight system.
Islamabad also developed a nuclear doctrine and communication systems that were integrated with intelligence and reconnaissance efforts and brought under the NCA to provide command and control during any crisis. Existing export control regulations were augmented, and safety and security procedures were reviewed and strengthened.
Making political appointments in such strategic institutions would be extremely dangerous.
The SPD letter acknowledged that certain politicians are approaching strategic institutions for the provision of jobs to their party loyalists in strategic organisations.
It warns that entertaining such requests would not only result in lowering of selection standards but will also adversely affect the working environments/efficiency of strategic organisations.
Furthermore, this will also politicise the strategic organisations which is not desirable, Maj-Gen Ahmad Bilal further wrote.
In the recent past, there has been some gossip about the possible shifting of the Nuclear Command and Control System from under the defence to the civil administration as an effort was made in case of the ISI. If such a thing really happens, it is feared that the NCA and the SPD would be turned into yet another PIA or railways, etc., where political appointments have ruined these national institutions, which in any case are not comparable with the kind of job assigned to the SPD.
