LAHORE The Gujranwala Electric Power Companys board of directors on Wednesday appointed a junior chief engineer as company CEO in sheer violation of the seniority principal. According to the seniority list, now available with TheNation, Mehboob Alam is at 28 down on it. It includes 13 general managers (one rank senior to chief engineer) and 15 chief engineers in the countrys power sector. The post of CEO in a power distribution company is only meant for a general manager working anywhere in the power sector. The senior officers of the Pepco are terming the decision, made by the PPP-led government, as another step forward to appoint its blue-eyed persons on important professional posts by ignoring the merit policy. Sources told this scriber that Gepcos CEO, one amongst the eight DISCOs running under the Pepco, belongs to the city of Lala Mosa and his appointment is backed by the Kaira family. It was also learnt that the Gepco board of directors chairman Hassan Javid is the nephew of Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar. Earlier, the Pepco MD had issued a letter (bearing number 25400-504/MDP/DD (CM)-1/PT-03) on June 1, 2011 appointing Mehboob Alam as the CEO on current charge basis. The post was being looked after by senior general manager Muhammad Ilyas Sheikh. The matter was taken to the Lahore High Court by another general manager, Mr Ilyas. Meanwhile, the Gepco board of directors passed a resolution in favour of CEO Mehboob Alam on June 13, 2011. However, the court in its verdict on June 21 suspended this resolution and directed the Board for inviting 'recommendations of the authorities concerned and experts in the power sector for names of competent professionals for the appointment as CEO of the Gepco. Mr Mehboob, however, continued working as the companys chief. A contempt of court petition was then filed in the LHC by Ilyas Sheikh, saying Mehboob Alam was fully aware of the court order. The LHC, on August 19, by disposing of the contempt of court petition, declared that Mr Mehbood 'cannot continue to function as the CEO. However, bypassing the orders of the court, Mr Mehbood continued working as the CEO. Mr Mehbood, after the court verdict on August 19, approved a posting order in the Gepco and also attended a board of directors meeting on August 23 in the capacity of the Gepcos CEO. On Wednesday (Sept 07), the Gepco board of directors held a meeting on a one-point agenda and appointed Mehboob Alam as the CEO for the third time. This, say the insiders, has been done against the procedure ordered by the LHC and without following a general process for appointing a company head. A senior officer of the Pepco said the board of directors should have advertised the post [of CEO], sought recommendations of experts in the power sector in order to appoint an appropriate person on this key post. The officer added that the appointment of Mr Alam was totally on political basis which could further create a row of disappointment among the senior officers and could increase the problems which the power sector was already facing, the officer added.