The son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asad Mahmood, speaking in parliament. Asad Mahmood/X
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday issued a second call-up notice to the son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asad Mahmood, directing him to appear before the anti-graft watchdog on November 13 in an inquiry into alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD).
NAB Rawalpindi is conducting an inquiry against officials and employees of the PPOD and others over allegations of illegal recruitment.
Mahmood, who served as federal minister for communications and postal services from 2022 to 2023, was summoned in connection with the alleged appointments made during his tenure.
Read: Noose tightens for Fazl, inner circle
Mahmood was required to appear before NAB on November 10 but failed to do so and instead had submitted a written response through his lawyer.
NAB officials declared his response unsatisfactory and issued a fresh notice, directing him to appear in person at 11am on Friday.
The notice warned that failure to appear could lead to legal proceedings under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
NAB had earlier summoned Rehman’s son on November 5 over alleged irregularities in the appointments at the PPOD during his tenure.
According to the earlier NAB notice, the Establishment Division had authorised recruitment against 3,938 posts at the Pakistan Post Office, but 4,252 people were allegedly appointed. The inquiry has also flagged appointments against 2,646 abolished posts, allegedly in violation of cabinet committee directives.
NAB maintains that despite recommendations for contractual recruitment through a testing agency, a large number of permanent appointments were made, potentially placing an additional financial burden on the department.
