NAB summons Fazl's son Asad Mahmood over alleged Pakistan Post hiring irregularities
The National Accountability Bureau has summoned former communications minister Asad Mahmood to appear on 10 November over alleged irregularities in 4,252 Pakistan Post appointments made during his 2022-23 tenure.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former federal communications minister Asad Mahmood, the son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, over alleged irregularities in recruitment at the Pakistan Post Office Department during his time in office.
According to the summons reported by Dawn, Geo News, Dunya News and Business Recorder, Mahmood has been directed to appear before a NAB investigation team in Rawalpindi on 10 November at 11am to record his statement. NAB has warned that failure to comply could lead to legal action under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
The inquiry concerns appointments made at Pakistan Post during Mahmood's tenure as communications minister in 2022 and 2023. The central allegation, set out in the NAB notice, is a mismatch between the posts that were authorised and the people who were actually hired.
Documents cited in the reporting say the Establishment Division had authorised recruitment against 3,938 posts at Pakistan Post. Yet 4,252 people were allegedly appointed, exceeding the approved strength by more than 300.
More seriously, the notice alleges that 2,646 of those appointments were made against posts that had already been abolished, in direct violation of the directions of a cabinet committee. NAB is seeking an explanation for how recruitment could proceed against posts that no longer existed on paper.
The allegations go beyond the numbers. The notice also points to recruitment allegedly carried out using fake or forged documents, the hiring of overage candidates, and violations of the domicile quota, which is meant to ensure fair provincial representation in federal hiring.
A further strand of the inquiry concerns the form the hiring took. According to Dunya News, a large number of permanent appointments were made even though recruitment on a contract basis through a testing agency had been recommended, raising concerns about an additional and lasting financial burden on Pakistan Post, an organisation already under strain.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is running a parallel track. Its Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad opened inquiry number 197/2026 into alleged serious irregularities and corruption in Pakistan Post recruitment, and issued its own notice on 30 October directing Mahmood to appear on 2 November to record his statement. Pakistan Today reported that he did not appear on that date.
The timing of the NAB summons has drawn attention in Islamabad. Dawn noted that it came after a fresh tirade by Maulana Fazlur Rehman against the government and state institutions over the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and terrorism, and it follows a meeting of opposition leaders at Fazl's Islamabad residence at which the opposition agreed to strengthen its alliance and coordinate in parliament.
It is important to be clear about the status of the case. These are allegations under investigation, and no finding of guilt has been established against Mahmood. The summons is a step in an inquiry, not a verdict, and Mahmood will have the opportunity to present his version and any supporting documents when he appears.
What happens next turns on 10 November. If Mahmood appears and answers the questions on the authorised strength, the abolished posts and the recruitment process, the inquiry may narrow to specific decisions and officials. If he does not, NAB has signalled it may proceed under the accountability ordinance. Either way, the case is likely to feed into the wider political contest, given Mahmood's family position at the heart of the opposition alliance.
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