LAHORE: In a development that has stirred serious concern within bureaucratic and accountability circles, Dr. Muhammad Qasim Khan Kakar — a controversial officer from the Balochistan Agriculture Department — has once again been posted on deputation in the federal government, this time as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR). His reappointment comes despite his repatriation to his parent Balochistan Agriculture Department due to his widely reported involvement in multiple irregularities, including a high-profile corruption case in which he was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for clearing 117 metric tons of infested chickpeas at Karachi Port in clear violation of phytosanitary regulations.
Kakar had earlier served as Director Administration and Quarantine in the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), also on deputation against rules. His initial posting had already been questioned vide a quo warranto petition filed in the Sindh High Court, challenging the legality of his posting. Despite these ongoing legal questions, Kakar has now re-entered the federal secretariat in a fresh and equally contentious appointment even after repatriation on account of corruption, reportedly paying advance and monthly carrots.
While serving in the DPP, Kakar came under fire for a number of lapses, including administrative failures and policy violations in areas such as quarantine enforcement, export certifications, and locust control operations. However, the most serious charge emerged in February 2024, when the FIA arrested Kakar in Karachi for approving the clearance of 117 metric tons of mold-infested, expired Australian chickpeas. The consignment had been cleared without valid import permits, aflatoxin testing, or compliance with the Plant Quarantine Act — a blatant breach that posed risks to both consumers and agricultural biosecurity. The clearance process, according to FIA sources, involved tampered documentation and the misuse of authority, leading to the lodging of a formal FIR against him and several other officials. Kakar reportedly cleared its names from FIA by greasing their palms.
The same month, a separate investigation revealed that a group of DPP officials, including Kakar, Umer Rathore, Umer Farooq, Allah Yar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Rashid Siraj Taufique, Tayyab walyat and Muhammad Hanif had been involved in issuing fake phytosanitary certificates for rice and mango exports. This resulted in multiple Pakistani consignments being intercepted at EU and Iran ports and posed a threat to the country’s agricultural export credibility. Industry sources had warned that such misconduct could lead to international sanctions or bans, particularly from the European Union and Iran— a significant market for Pakistani agri-exports.
Despite this troubling background, Kakar’s new appointment as Deputy Secretary in MNFSR appears to have been pushed through without due scrutiny, reportedly with the backing of powerful figures in the federal bureaucracy by extorting money. Officials inside the Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed dismay over the decision, saying it undermines internal efforts to promote transparency and clean governance. “We are trying to implement reforms and digitize systems for better food security governance, but these kinds of appointments take us several steps back,” said one senior officer.
Legal experts and civil society activists have called the reappointment deeply problematic due to vested interest especially as court proceedings in the Sindh High Court over his earlier deputation are still pending. “This case reflects a broader failure in enforcement of service rules, and the institutional culture that allows individuals with ongoing inquiries and proven misconduct to return to sensitive positions,” commented a senior advocate familiar with the matter. He added that this could attract further judicial review.
Questions are also being raised about the silence of the Establishment Division, which is responsible for overseeing deputation rules and inter-provincial transfers. The repeated violations in Kakar’s case — first in the DPP, and now in MNFSR — point to systemic loopholes and selective accountability. Meanwhile, the FIA investigation has not yet reached its conclusion, and it remains unclear whether the prosecution is proceeding at the pace required for such high-stakes corruption cases.
The reappointment of a figure involved in biosecurity violations, illegal deputation, and questionable export clearances to a senior position in the federal food ministry sends a worrying message, critics argue. It not only risks undermining Pakistan’s international trade reputation but also erodes public trust in the state’s commitment to clean governance and institutional reform.
This appointment order does not explain how service gap from repatriation to establishment division and again reappointment without consent of Establishment Division will be settled. Dr Syed Bilal Haider played key role for his reappointment overlooking mandatory appointment rules reportedly by oiling his palms.
Repeated attempts to obtain comments from the Ministry of National Food Security, the Balochistan Agriculture Department, and the Establishment Division went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
