MULTAN: Contrary to its slogan of eliminating corruption, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in Punjab on Monday posted a doctor as medical superintendent at Nishtar Hospital against whom a case of alleged corruption was lodged a couple of months back.

Through an official order, secretary specialised healthcare and medical education department Saqib Zafar transferred Multan District Headquarters Hospital additional principal medical officer Dr Ashiq Hussain Malik and posted him as MS Nishtar Hospital against the vacant slot.

Additional MS Dr Ansar Ahmad Kazmi, who was holding the [additional] charge, was relieved with immediate effect.

Sources said health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid opposed the posting of Dr Malik due to his alleged involvement in corruption; however a delegation of parliamentarians met Chief Minister Usman Buzdar the other day and insisted on the posting of Dr Malik as MS.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had lodged an FIR against Dr Malik for his alleged involvement in [fake] purchase of medicines worth Rs14.8 million when he was serving as executive district officer health (EDOH) at Muzaffargarh.

ACE had initiated three inquiries and sought registration of case in one of them

The FIR No 20/18 was lodged under section 409/420, 467/468 and 471 of PPC and 5(2)47 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 on Sept 4 with the ACE Circle Muzaffargarh.

Muhammad Sarfraz, a resident of Muzaffargarh’s Basti Pir Jahanian, submitted an application to the ACE director general stating that Dr Malik was posted as the DHQ hospital MS from Jan 16, 2010 to May 17, 2011 and then EDO (health) on the basis of a fake degree of masters of public health. He also had his friend Dr Muhammad Rashid appointed as MS to conceal his corruption, he alleged.

Sarfraz alleged that millions of rupees were withdrawn from national exchequer by submitting bogus bills of medicines from 2010 to 2013 and the record showed that the medicines were purchased from M/S Impex Private Limited despite the fact that the licence of the firm was not renewed after its expiry on Aug 9, 2009.

He stated that the firm was only a distribution company but Dr Malik and Dr Rashid used the fake licence No. 228 by showing it a pharmacy instead of a distribution firm.

Firm owner Muhammad Alam Khan in his affidavit stated that no amount was transferred to the account of the company whereas as per rules the amount should have been transferred through a crossed cheque or vendor.

According to a report of drug branch of health department issued on Feb 13, 2017, no firm with the title of Roha Pharmacy exists while according to hospital record Rs14.8m were paid to the bogus pharmacy.

He stated that Dr Malik ordered an inquiry against senior clerk/accountant Mahar Abdul Rashid Sial under his own supervision through [then] MS Dr Siddique Saqib and Siyal was exonerated by the inquiry officer, [just] issuing a warning to him.

The complainant, who attached the copies of bogus record including bills and expense book of the tenure of the both officers, sought action against them and other relevant staff.

He stated that former DCO Malik Muhammad Ashraf Awan had issued an order in 2013 to submit a report to him after conducting the audit of the local purchase of the medicines during the tenure of both officers but no action was taken even on the direction of the DCO.

The ACE Multan has also recommended the director general for lodging of the case against Mr Malik for allegedly causing a loss of Rs5.1m to the national exchequer as MS Nishtar Hospital. The recommendation was made by ACE Regional Director Amjad Shoaib Tareen in May last while stating that “a preliminary inquiry No 485/2017 was initiated on the allegations of corruption in purchase of medicines and other heads of accounts committed by Mr Malik and others.”

He stated that the technical report revealed the loss incurred to the government exchequer includes Rs2.4m in terms of provision of security services in the institution, Rs0.6m in supply and installation of one way tyre buster, Rs0.43m in the special repair of the road from Gate No 3 to Residence No 4 of Nishtar Medical College and Rs1.72m in awarding 25 special repairing works to a single contractor.

It stated that the additional director (investigation) recommended registration of case against Dr Malik, Additional MS Dr Muhammad Iqbal, hospital’s sub-engineers Imran Haider and Nasir Bhutta and two contractors Yousaf Khan and Ghulam Yasin.

It merits mentioning that the National Accountability Bureau is also probing the charges of corruption, misconduct and embezzlement against the administrative heads of Nishtar Hospital and in June last collected the hospital record since 2015 relating to purchases, appointments and promotions. A spokesman for the Punjab health minister claimed that no ACE case was pending against Dr Malik. “Dr Ashiq had produced no objection certificate [of clearance] from ACE during interview for the slot,” he said.

The spokesman said the health department would take departmental action against Dr Malik if found guilty.

Director ACE Multan Amjad Shoaib Tareen, however, said no NOC was issued to Dr Malik.

He said three inquiries were initiated against Dr Malik. After findings of one inquiry, recommendation for case registration was sent while two others are being probed.

Dera Ghazi Khan ACE Deputy Director (Technical) Zahid Iqbal also stated that no NOC was issued by the department to Dr Malik.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018