LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to hold an inquiry into financial affairs of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and also placed the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission’s commissioner on exit control list (ECL).

The chief justice passed this order hearing a human rights case moved by former daily-wage employee of the PIC, Fareeha Majeed.

Punjab health minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq, secretary health Najam Shah, PIC chief executive officer Nadeem Hayat and chairman of its board of management, Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan were present in the court which had summoned them in the case.

Takes notice of overseas Pakistanis commissioner’s posting, questions his hefty salary

Narrating her ordeal before the court, Ms Majeed said she had been working at the local purchase section of the PIC as assistant pharmacist on a daily work-charge basis. She said she was removed from the job for identifying overbilling in the purchase and not signing the bills.

She said the then medical superintendent of the PIC, Sohail Saqlain, had pressurised her to sign the purchase bills and got her transferred when she remained unyielding.

‘Finally, I was removed in January 2016 despite having an unmatched evaluation report,” she added. Mr Saqlain was also present in the court.

Ms Majeed told the court that she informed Afzal Bhatti, a member of the board of management, about the whole episode of corruption but he did nothing despite making promises to take up the matter with the authorities. Mr Bhatti, happens to be commissioner at Punjab Overseas Pakistani Commission, also made his appearance before the court.

Expressing his surprise at the poor state of affairs at the PIC, the CJ asked Mr Hassaan, “How can such things happen in your presence?”

Mr Hassan said being chairman of the board of management he had no role in the operational affairs of the hospital.

However, he told the court that he had launched an inquiry into matter but the opinion of the woman proved to be incorrect. He said another inquiry held on the direction of the Lahore High Court also rejected her claims. However, the woman pointed out that she was never asked to appear before any of the inquiries.

The chief justice also took notice of the appointment of overseas Pakistanis’ commissioner Afzaal Bhatti against a monthly salary of Rs550,000.

The top judge observed that even the principal officer of the province (chief secretary) was getting less than Rs200,000 per month. Mr Bhatti told the court he had a dual nationality of Pakistan and the UK.

CJ Nisar summoned the complete record of his appointment and also ordered the government to put his name on the ECL.

“I wish to make your chief minister sit over here all the day just to show him what is going on in his government,” the chief justice said to health minister Rafiq. Ordering the NAB to hold an inquiry into the financial affairs of the PIC, he summoned the bureau’s Punjab director general Saleem Shahzad on the hearing next week.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar suspended transfer order of a woman assistant director at Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) and summoned its director general retired Capt Zafar Iqbal.

During hearing multiple applications moved by citizens to human rights cell of the apex court, Ms Iram told the chief justice that she had been transferred to Sheikhupura for defying ‘personal demands’ of the director general. The officer said she was diagnosed with tumour and also had a minor daughter to look after. She alleged that all the women employees at the PLRA were being subjected to sexual harassment.

CJP Nisar suspended transfer of Iram and directed the advocate general Punjab to ensure appearance of the PLRA director general on next hearing.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2018