The Riots of 1953 — Page 93
93 since Partition, with regard to two I did not even know that they were Ahmadis till after they had joined the service. Of the only two posts with regard to which I have authority to make appointments myself, namely, my Private Secretary and my Personal Assistant, not one has at any time been occupied by an Ahmadi. I have no concern with recruitment to the ministerial posts in the Ministry or abroad. To my knowledge, so far as I am aware, there are in our Missions abroad only three Ahmadis in ministerial posts. I have had no concern or connection with the recruitment of any of them. Two of them were in Government service in ministerial posts before Partition. The third, I believe, was recruited abroad altogether. In his case, I did not know till quite some time after he joined Government service, that he was an Ahmadi. So far as recruitment to officers grades in the Government services of all other Ministries is concerned, I believe this also takes place through the Public Service Commission. I have on no occasion, directly or indirectly, tried to influence the recruitment of any person, whether an Ahmadi or a non- Ahmadi, with any member of the Public Service Commission. To my knowledge, neither the Chairman nor any member of the Public Service Commission at the Centre or in the Provinces, before Partition or after Partition, has been an Ahmadi. Q. Are Chaudhri Bashir Ahmad, Deputy Director-General in the Ministry of Industries, and Sheikh Ijaz Ahmad, Joint Secretary Food, your friends and Ahmadis? A. Yes. They are my friends and Ahmadis. Sheikh Ijaz Ahmad has now retired. Q. Did you first get them recruited into the service of Govern- ment?