Special Report
Islamabad: The Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Habibur Rehman Gillani, has resigned from his position following alleged differences with Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Talha Mehmood.
According to sources, the federal cabinet, through circulation of a summary of the Religious Affairs Ministry, has approved the resignation and appointed the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Syed Atta-ul-Rehman, as the Acting Chairman of the board. They said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs did not allow the one-month notice period of the Chairman to complete and the federal cabinet has approved his immediate dismissal by paying one month’s salary in advance. They said Gillani was appointed as the chairman for three years on April 9 last year, with the government coalition party being keen on the attractive appointment. The federal cabinet has authorized Dr. Syed Atta-ul-Rehman to serve for at least three months or until a permanent chairman is appointed, said sources.
They added that the Evacuee Trust Property Board manages properties abandoned by Hindus and Sikhs who migrated to India after the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
The alleged differences between the two officials have caused a stir in political circles, with some questioning the government’s decision to dismiss Gillani. The situation remains unclear, and it remains to be seen how the Evacuee Trust Property Board will function under the new leadership.
