In the Asad Mahmood NAB case, the National Accountability Bureau has summoned the former federal minister for communications to answer allegations of illegal recruitment at Pakistan Post. NAB’s Rawalpindi office has directed Maulana Asad Mahmood, son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to appear before its investigation team on November 10 at 11am.
According to the NAB notice, the bureau is inquiring into alleged irregularities in appointments made at the Pakistan Post Office in 2022 and 2023, when Asad Mahmood headed the Ministry of Communications in the coalition government formed after April 2022. The notice warns that if he does not appear, legal action can be taken against him under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
Asad Mahmood NAB Notice: What the Allegations Say
The allegations listed in the notice centre on the number of people hired and the way they were hired. The summons does not mean guilt has been established; these are allegations under inquiry.
| Point in the NAB notice | Detail |
|---|---|
| Posts approved by Establishment Division | 3,938 |
| People allegedly recruited | 4,252 (314 more than approved) |
| Hiring against abolished vacancies | 2,646, allegedly against cabinet committee instructions |
| Type of hiring | Permanent, although contract hiring through a testing agency was recommended |
| Other allegations | Fake or forged documents, overage candidates, domicile quota violations |
| Date to appear | November 10, 11am, NAB Rawalpindi |
According to the notice, the Director General of Pakistan Post had recommended that the staff be hired on contract through a testing agency, but a large number were allegedly given regular appointments, adding a lasting financial burden on the department.
FIA Is Also Investigating
The Asad Mahmood NAB summons is the second notice in the same matter within days. The Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad had sent him a notice on October 30, asking him to appear on November 2 in connection with alleged corruption and serious irregularities in Pakistan Post recruitment. With both agencies now looking at the same hirings, the inquiry has clearly widened.
No public response from Asad Mahmood or JUI-F to the NAB notice had been reported at the time of writing. TaazaTaren will update this story if he or his party responds.
Background: Pakistan Post and the 2022-23 Hirings
Asad Mahmood served as communications minister from April 2022 to August 2023 in the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which was formed after the no-confidence vote against the PTI government. The Ministry of Communications oversees the Pakistan Post Office Department, one of the country’s oldest public services, with thousands of post offices and a large workforce.
Recruitment in federal departments needs approval from the Establishment Division, and hiring against abolished posts or above the sanctioned number is normally not allowed. Pakistan Post has for years struggled with losses as letters fall and digital payments grow, which is why extra permanent staff is seen as a heavy cost.
How the Asad Mahmood NAB Inquiry Affects You
For taxpayers, the case matters because every extra permanent post adds salary and pension costs paid from public money. For thousands of Pakistan Post employees hired in 2022 and 2023, the inquiry raises questions about whether their appointments will be reviewed. Candidates who applied and were not selected may also want to see whether merit and domicile quotas were followed.
What Happens Next in the Asad Mahmood NAB Case
Asad Mahmood is due before the NAB team on November 10. Investigators are expected to record his statement and seek recruitment records from Pakistan Post and the Ministry of Communications. If NAB finds enough evidence, the inquiry can be turned into a formal investigation; if not, it can be closed. The FIA inquiry will continue separately, and the outcome of the Asad Mahmood NAB proceedings will be closely watched in political circles.
For official updates, visit the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) website.
Read More: Cabinet Approves JIT Report on One Constitution Avenue
Follow the TaazaTaren channel for the latest updates.
