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FIA begins scrutiny of accounts of 100 private medical colleges

By Shahid Aslam

May 10, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Following orders of the Supreme Court, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has started a massive probe across the country to scrutinise accounts of all the 100 private medical colleges registered with the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) for bringing uniformity in fee structure, The News has learnt.

Sources in the FIA told this correspondent that SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had ordered formation of an FIA committee led by FIA Punjab Director Dr Usman Anwar with directions to investigate all the registered private medical colleges of the country regarding their fee. The committee has also been tasked to ensure excessive amount, if charged from students by these colleges, be returned to the affected students, they added. The SC has also set a bench mark of Rs 850,000 as admission/enrollment fee of each student of the first year in any private medical and dental college of the country. The apex court has given one month to the FIA committee to complete the task and submit a report in this regard.

Following the directions of the apex court, various FIA teams have been formed which started their work as per the PMDC list of private medical colleges, available with The News. Among 100 colleges, 44 are located in Punjab, 27 in Sindh, 16 in KPK, 12 in the federal capital Islamabad and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Names of the colleges FIA teams would investigate include Akhtar Saeed Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Amna Inayat Medical College, Lahore, Avicenna Medical College, Lahore, Azra Naheed Medical College, Lahore, Central Parks Medical College, Lahore, Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Medical College, Lahore, Continental Medical College, Lahore, Dental College, Akhtar Saeed Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Dental College, FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, Dental College, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Dental College, Sharif Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Dental College, University College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, Institute of Dentistry CMH Lahore Medical College, Lahore, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Pak Red Crescent Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Rahbar Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Rashid Latif Medical College, Lahore, Shalamar Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Sharif Medical & Dental College, Lahore, University College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, Faryal Dental College, Sheikhupura, Bakhtawar Amin Medical & Dental College, Multan, CMH Multan Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Multan, College of Dentistry, Bakhtawar Amin Medical & Dental College, Multan, Multan Medical & Dental College, Multan, Multan Medical & Dental College, Multan, Shahida Islam Medical College, Lodhran, Islam Dental College, Sialkot, Islam Medical College, Sialkot, Sialkot Medical College, Sialkot, M Islam Medical College, Sialkot, Sahar Medical College, Narowal, Hashmat Medical & Dental College, Gujrat, Aziz Fatimah Medical & Dental College, Faisalabad, Dental College, University Medical & Dental College, Faisalabad, Independent Medical College, Faisalabad, University Medical & Dental College, Faisalabad, Rai Medical College, Sargodha, Al-Nafees Medical College, Islamabad, Dental College, Islamabad Medical & Dental College, Islamabad, Dental College, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Fazaia Medical College, Islamabad, Foundation University College of Dentistry, Islamabad, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, HBS Medical & Dental College, Islamabad, Islamabad Medical & Dental College, Islamabad, Islamic International Dental College, Islamabad, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Yusra Medical & Dental College, Islamabad, Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi, Margalla College of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, Watim Medical College, Rawalpindi, Wah Medical College, Wah Cantt, HITECH Institute of Medical Sciences, Texila, Mohi Uddin Islamic Medical College, Mirpur, Azad Jammu Kashmir, Abbottabad International Medical College, Abbottabad, Abbottabad International medical College, Abbottabad, Frontier Medical College, Abbottabad, Women Medical College, Abbottabad, Frontier Medical College, Abbottabad, Women Medical College, Abbottabad, Al-Razi Medical College, Peshawar, Jinnah Medical College, Peshawar, Kabir Medical College, Peshawar, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Pak International Medical College, Peshawar, Peshawar Dental College, Peshawar, Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, Rehman College of Dentistry, Peshawar, Sardar Begum Dental College, Peshawar, Agha Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Al-Tibri Medical College, Karachi, Bahria University Medical College, Karachi, Baqai Dental College, Karachi, Baqai Medical College, Karachi, Dental College, Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Dental College, Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences for Girls, Karachi, Hamdard College of Medicine & Dentistry, Karachi, Jinnah Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Liaqat College of Medicine & Dentistry, Karachi, Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Karachi, Hamdard College of Medicine & Dentistry, Karachi, Jinnah Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Karachi, Liaqat College of Medicine & Dentistry, Karachi, Liaqat National Medical College, Karachi, Muhammad Bin Qasim Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences for Girls, Karachi, United Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Ziauddin Medical College, Karachi, Ziauddin Dental College, Karachi, Bhittai Dental & Medical College, Mirpur Khas, Muhammad Medical College, Mirpur Khas, Indus Medical College, Tando Muhammad Khan, Faculty of Medicine & Allied Medical Sciences/Isra University, Hyderabad and Isra Dental College, Hyderabad.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken a suo-motu notice regarding excessive charges in fee by private medical and dental colleges after he paid a surprise visit to Red Crescent Medical College, Phool Nagar, Kasur district, a couple of months back. The college administration, following the SC orders, had to return around Rs 270 million to its students it had charged excessive in fee.

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No hospital in South Punjab for organ transplants

By Shahid Aslam

May 01, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Human Organ Transplant Authority (PHOTA) has not approved any hospital located in South Punjab to conduct transplants, forcing the ailing patients of those areas to travel hundreds of kilometres to reach other districts of the province for treatment, The News has learnt. According to documents, available with The News, at least 65 patients belonging to various districts of South Punjab including Bhakhar (1), Bahawalnagar (5), Bahawalpur (8), Dera Ghazi Khan (11), Khanewal (5), Multan (9), Muzzaffargarh (6), Rahim Yar Khan (4), Rajanpur (8) and Vehari (8) underwent transplantation procedures in various categories including renal, liver, bone marrow, cardiac, corneal, etc during the last one year or so at Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi or any other nearby approved facility.

After adopting the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (HOTA) 2010, the Punjab government established the PHOTA in 2013. The funding for the authority could only be earmarked a couple of years back after the government appointed Prof Dr Faisal Masood as its director general. Punjab Health Minister Kh Salman Rafique is chairman of the Authority with the SecretaryHealth as its secretary.

According to documents, out of 23 registered hospitals for transplants (8 public and 15 private) 17 are located in Lahore, three located in Rawalpindi and one each in Multan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.

Similarly, out of the 16 hospitals (4 public and 12 private) whose registration is under process with PHOTA, nine are located in Lahore, five in Rawalpindi and one each in Bahawalpur and Chiniot.

The registered government hospitals include Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Lahore General Hospital (Renal), College of Ophthalmology & Allied Sciences Mayo Hospital, Lahore (Corneal), Children Hospital, Lahore (Bone Marrow), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan (Cardiac) and DHQ Hospital, Gujranwala (Renal).

The private registered hospitals include Jinnah Memorial Hospital, Rawalpindi (Renal), Bahria Town Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Surgimed Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Ihsan Mumtaz Hospital, Lahore (Renal), National Hospital & Medical Centre, Lahore (Renal & Bone Marrow), Sharif Medical City Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Bilal Hospital, Rawalpindi (Renal), Doctor Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Bahria International Orchard, Lahore (Liver), Punjab Medical College, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad (Renal & Corneal) and Shoukat Khanam Hospital, Lahore (Bone Marrow). Similarly, the re-registration of three government hospitals including Mayo Hospital Lahore (Renal), Services Institute of Medical Sciences (Renal) and Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore (Liver) is pending with PHOTA. Similarly, re-registration of three private hospitals including Akram Medical Complex Lahore (Renal), Doctors Hospital, Lahore (Liver) and Al-Syed Hospital Rawalpindi (Renal) is still pending and the process of respective transplants has been halted.

On the other hand, registration of four hospitals including Jinnah Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute & Research Center (PKLIRC), Lahore (Liver, Renal & Pancreas), Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi (Renal) and Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur (Renal) is under process. Similarly, registration of 12 private hospitals including Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT), Lahore (Corneal), Al-Shifa Trust, Rawalpindi (Corneal), Aadil Hospital, Lahore (Renal and Corneal), Al-Ahsan Welfare Trust, Lahore (Corneal), Lahore Medicare Institute of Clinical Ophthalmology, Lahore (Corneal), Amanat Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi (Corneal), Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore (Renal), Al-Sadiq Saad Shaheed Hospital, Rawalpindi (Renal), National Eye Hospital, Lahore (Corneal), Al-Syed Hospital, Rawalpindi (Liver, Corneal and Stem Cell), Ramzan Ali Syed Hospital, Lahore (Renal) and Noor Eye Donor Association, Chiniot (Corneal) is also under process.

Since the formation of the Authority, around 50 transplant surgeons have conducted over 900 transplants in the entire province so far. Sources further told The News that the Punjab government and health department could not make functional the lone approved cardiac transplant facility — Ch. Parvaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology (CPEIC) in Multan for the last three years.

Established and equipped as per international standards, according to an official source in health department, the CPEIC Multan is the only place in the country where the cardiac transplants could be performed, but due to reasons best known to the government and its subordinate departments, not a single patient could be treated since its registration with the PHOTA, with a panel of doctors some three years back. He further said an amount ranging from Rs15 million to Rs20 is required to perform each cardiac transplant in CPEIC Multan.

Had the CPEIC Multan been made functional, the source added, Pakistanis willing to travel to neighbouring countries like India for heart transplants could have avoided their sufferings.

Talking to The News on Monday, Deputy Director Vigilance PHOTA Adnan Ahmed Bhatti confirmed that there was not a single health facility in South Punjab registered where transplants could be conducted.

“We are a very open forum and any hospital whether private or public can be registered with us but,” the DD said, “they (hospitals) have to meet certain conditions to get the registration.” He further said the authority was going to establish its regional offices in Multan and Rawalpindi in the coming months to facilitate people of those areas.

To a question, the official conceded to the fact that in the absence of any such facility in South Punjab patients have to suffer a lot to travel to Lahore, Faisalabad or Rawalpindi for treatment. Despite several efforts and assurance by the spokesman of the Punjab Government Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan during the last one week, the government’s version could not be obtained.

Similarly, several attempts were made over the past one week to get response from Punjab Health Minister Kh Salman Rafique and Secretary Specialized Healthcare Punjab Najam Ahmed Shah but they too didn’t respond.

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Probe into Chiniot mining case incomplete even after eight years

By Shahid Aslam

April 20, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The high-profile inquiry into the multi-billion dollar agreement signed for exploration of iron ore deposits in Chiniot couldn’t be completed even after the lapse of eight years, The News has learnt.

On the directions of incumbent Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the ACE started a probe in 2010 into the alleged illegal contract between Earth Resource Private Limited (ERPL) and the Punjab Mineral Development Corporation (PUNJMIN), a company established under the Minerals Department.

Owned by Arshad Waheed, the ERPL Company had entered into a joint venture with the PUNJMIN for exploration of Iron and other minerals in December 2007.

It was stated in the FIR that the PUNJMIN after spending Rs 117.59 million had discovered 610 million metric ton of iron ore in Chiniot worth $915 billion. It further stated that with the connivance of PUNJMIN, the ERPL had signed the agreement wherein the government share was agreed upon at 20 per cent and the company was to get the remaining 80 per cent.

After probing the matter for six years, the ACE registered an FIR 518/10 under sections 471, 468 and 420 of the PPC against seven accused including a sitting PTI MPA and former Punjab minister for mines and minerals Muhammad Sibtain Khan, former provincial secretary Imtiaz Ahmed Cheema, PUNJMIN Secretary Basharat Ullah, PUNJMIN General Manager Muhammad Aslam, Chief Inspector of Mines Mian Abdul Sattar, PUNJMIN Technical Adviser Idrees Rizwani, owner and CEO of ERPL Arshad Waheed and others.

The role of others, if any, was to be determined during the further investigation. “The investigation into the mega fraud and forgery case has almost been completed and we would initiate our next step – arresting all the accused persons as early as possible,” Punjab ACE DG Brig (retd) Muzaffar Ali Ranjha claimed while talking to this correspondent.

The DG said it had been established in the investigation that the accused had managed and prepared a false summery for awarding the contract. “We will arrest everyone involved in the scam very soon,” the DG asserted without giving any timeline.

Responding to a question, the ACE head said as the then caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Sheikh Ijaz Nisar had approved the summary of the controversial contract, they would chalk out a strategy to interrogate him.

“We might approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek assistance on the issue of the retired justice and his alleged involvement in the case,” he added. Answering another question, the DG said Arshad would be brought back to the country with the help of Interpol. Moreover, he added, the ACE took eight years to complete the probe as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was initially investigating the same matter.

On the other hand, official sources told this correspondent that two of the nominated persons, retired government officials Basharat and Idrees had died already. Similarly, the EPRL owner didn’t join the investigation ever as he had left the country soon after the Punjab government had cancelled the contract in 2008. Arshad didn’t return back to Pakistan from the US afterwards.

Sources further revealed that the anti corruption officials neither nominated the Justice (retd) Sheikh Ijaz Nisar in the FIR nor summoned him for his statement as yet. A former LHC chief justice, Justice (retd) Nisar had served as caretaker chief minister from 19 November 2007 to 11 April 2008.

Former secretary Cheema had prepared a summary on the directions of provincial minister Sibtain, which was subsequently approved by Justice (retd) Sheikh Ijaz in December 2007. It may be relevant to mention that Arshad had approached the LHC against the Shahbaz’s decision but the court endorsed the move and referred the matter to NAB for investigation. Later, the ERPL management approached the Supreme Court which upheld the LHC’s orders.

A couple of years back, the NAB Lahore had closed the case on the ground that the agreement between both the parties was already cancelled before it was referred to the Bureau. Incumbent NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal also ordered the Bureau to reinvestigate the case soon after the Punjab Government through ads highlighted the mega corruption scandal and appealed to him for reinvestigation.

The chairman had said that strict action would be taken if negligence on the part of NAB officials was proved. When contacted, Punjab government spokesperson Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan said the NAB had initiated inquiry on a special request by the chief minister, adding, “We should wait for final report by the Bureau.”

“The anti-corruption policy of the Punjab Government is based on zero tolerance. The Chiniot iron ore project could have proved to be a gold mine for the people of the province in particular and for the nation in general but a few people tried to plunder the national assets, who must be taken to task” Ahmed added.

The spokesperson expressed the hope that the NAB would unearth the factors behind not completing the long pending inquiry and those who were responsible should be tried without any discrimination.

“As for as the Punjab chief minister is concerned, he was the first person who welcomed the opening of inquiry by NAB,” he said, adding that Shahbaz had also questioned the delay in the inquiry by ACE.

Talking to The News on Wednesday, Justice (retd) Sheikh Ijaz said he did not remember whether he had approved any such summary or not. “I don’t remember that I approved or not a summary of the Chiniot mining agreement as around 10 years have passed now,” he said.

“There is a procedure which every chief executive of the province has to follow. A summary is moved by a department and it moves from one office to another before reaching to the CM for the final nod,” he explained.

To a question, the former caretaker chief minister said nobody from the ACE had ever contacted him for his point of view. When contacted, Sibtain said the FIR was a fraud and a political victimisation being a member of the PTI.

He said a caretaker setup was already in place when the agreement concluded in December 2007. “I have been given a clean chit by the investigators, Sibtain claimed. However, he endorsed the fact that the FIR against him was still in place. To a question, the PTI MPA said nobody from ACE or NAB contacted him for his stance.

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No action against SZH ex-chief in a decade

By Shahid Aslam

April 15, 2018

LAHORE: Punjab Health Department has not been able to act against former chairman of Shaikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) Lahore Dr Farid Khan for over a decade for allegedly obtaining fake experience certificate of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in 2002, documents available with The News revealed.

It may be mentioned the Supreme Court took a suo motu notice of his appointment as SZH chairman in 2015 for a tenure of three years. The court also barred Punjab government from extending his tenure for next term after the expiry of the present term ending in April 2018.

The possession of an alleged fake experience certificate by Dr Farid came to surface for the first time when Dr Ghulam Qadir Fayyaz, the then Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Services Institute of Medical Sciences and Services Hospital Lahore, wrote a letter to the Punjab health secretary on September 27, 2007 for verification of the subject document.

In his letter, Dr Fayyaz accused Dr Farid of producing a PMDC certificate showing that his experience in England has been recognised as teaching experience (senior registrar) from 10-10-1996 to 14-11-2000 vide letter no PF.11-F-2002 (1456-P/899 on December 12, 2002) with other documents when he applied for a post of professor of plastic surgery in December 2006 at King Edward Medical University (KEMU).

“Dr Faird had worked just as Senior House Officer and as Registrar in Plastic Surgery in England. He did his FCPS (in Plastic Surgery) in 1998 and FRCS (in General Surgery) in 1999. How it was possible that he could work in UK as Senior Registrar in 1996 without any post-graduation,” wrote Dr Fayyaz, adding, the experience certificate was obtained unlawfully which needed to be verified from the PMDC.

Following the orders of senior officials, Iqbal Tabassum, Section Officer AMI of Health Department Punjab wrote a letter to Maj (retd) Dr Rashid Anjum of the PMDC on September 29, 2007 for verification of the experience certificate issued to Farid. The PMDC confirmed the experience letter was fake.

“I’m directed to refer your letter No.SO(AMI) 2-44/99 dated 29th September, 2007 on the subject above. It is informed that after scrutiny of documents/record is revealed that the enclosed copy of experience certificate is a fake document and has not been issued from our office,” Assistant Secretary of the PMDC responded to the query of the health Department.

Last year, when Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore started a probe against Dr Farid on couple of complaints, the PMDC again responded on January 15, 2018 stating that the subject certificate was a fake document.

The verification officer of PMDC, Syed Masood Hussain Shah, through a letter No.(Verif-Exp/4826-P)/1924 issued on January 15, 2018, has informed the FIA that the experience certificate No.PF.11-F-2002(1456-P/899) on December 12, 2002 signed by Dr Muhammad Rashid Anjum, A.R PMDC was never issued by the Council, and the fact had already been communicated to to the Punjab health department on October 9, 2007.

Despite all this spanning over a decade, Dr Farid continued gaining promotions and even became the chairman of SZH in April 2015 for a three-year term.

It is important to note here that Dr Farid is not facing only this probe at the moment by FIA.

Earlier, The News had reported on 21 heads of department (HoDs) and other senior staff of SZH wrote to the Punjab chief minister on October 27, 16, bringing it into his knowledge the alleged malpractices being committed at the hospital as well as at Kidney/Liver Transplant unit since Dr Farid became the chairman.

They also drew the CM’s attention towards the alleged fake experience certificate of Dr Farid.

The CM, taking notice of the complaint, ordered Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) led by Ali Akbar to investigate the charges. Mr Ali and his team probed the matter and submitted their report to the CM which is yet to be made public.

Sources, however, told The News that the CMIT has proved certain allegations levelled against Dr Farid as true. The charges including one he faced at Mayo Hospital regarding his alleged role in the theft of government equipment, hiring the services of two legal advisers at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, recruitment of around 190 daily-wage employees, etc have been proved against Dr Farid, sources added.

It is also learnt that the CM has formed another committee including Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and Specialized Healthcare Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique to look into the findings of the CMIT, but the committee has yet to meet since its formation some five months back.

On the other hand, the CM has also ordered a two-member Public Facilitation Committee of Health Department to probe the allegations about Kidney/Liver Transplant unit of SZMH Lahore.

The facilitation committee submitted its report to CM highlighting serious irregularities in the unit during the term of Dr Farid as SZH chairman.

The committee wrote that some patients had expired but expenses were incurred on them after their death. Some bogus names of patients were also created as such patients never came to hospital for treatment and expenses were adjusted against their names.

“Some medicines were issued to such patients who had undergone transplants in the hospital but these were never given to them. These patients actually purchased their medicines from open market and bore all expenses by themselves,” the Facilitation committee wrote in its conclusion.

Having no defence to offer, the committee wrote, the doctors and staff concerned at Kidney/Liver Transplant of the hospital returned the loss caused to the government to the tune of over Rs70 million.

It may be relevant to mention here that CM Punjab had earmarked over Rs 2 million for each patient treated at the SZMH.

Dr Farid’s NGO “Friends of Plastic Surgery” is also under the probe of FIA for obtaining millions of rupees from a US-based NGO Smile Train by submitting fake lists of patients treated by the NGO. The issue was also reported by The News in January 2017.

Zaib ul Nisa Begum, mother of Dr Farid, is president, Dr Farid Ahmad Khan is vice president and Samra Farid, Dr Farid’s wife is also part of the NGO as Finance Secretary.

It is also learnt that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was also approached against Dr Farid for a thorough investigation against him but after the initial scrutiny, the Bureau forwarded the matter to FIA as similar matters were already under investigations with this agency.

Talking to The News, Prof Ajmal of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore said around a two dozen senior professors and other staff members had approached the Chief Minister Punjab last year to probe the charges against Dr Faird Khan. He said the CM taking notice of their complaint, ordered CMIT to investigate the charges.

Talking to The News on Friday, Dr Farid Khan said allegations against him were completely false and frivolous based upon applications by mafia of Shaikh Zayed hospital against which he took actions being the chairman.

Commenting about the fake certificate, Dr Farid claimed that he didn’t obtain the subject certificate from PMDC in 2002 and it was a forged document.

To another question, Dr Farid said the chairman had nothing to do with liver transplants funds issue as he was not the signing authority.

Responding to another query, the Dr Farid said he had nothing to do with the FIR registered on the complaint of Mayo Hospital administration some time back. He claimed that all the missing items of the hospital were recovered and the actual accused person was sent to jail.

To another question, he said no charge could be proved against him in the probe of CMIT.

Kh Salman Rafique didn’t respond when approached even through his PRO and Personal Assistant on Friday.

Similarly, head of the CMIT enquiry team Ali Akbar was approached but he refused to comment on the issue.

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FIA in action as CJ takes notice of PIA affairs

By Shahid Aslam

April 09, 2018

LAHORE: As Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the affairs of Pakistan International Airline (PIA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) acted promptly by sending two questionnaires to the chairman of the national flag carrier, seeking response from the officials concerned on two pending high-profile cases by April 12, The News has learnt.

The FIA’s Lahore office has been probing PIA officials for over one year and a half regarding two matters —the sale of PIA’s aircraft A-310 to Germany for peanuts (Euros 47,500) and acquisition of planes on Wet Lease at exuberant rates, allegedly causing a loss of around Rs3 billion to PIA.

Sources said the FIA sent two questionnaires to PIA Chairman Irfan Elahi on Friday (April 6), asking him to serve one of them to the former PIA Director Procurement and Logistics Department Air Commodore Imran Akhtar (retd) and the other to PIA Board of Directors (BoD) to get their responses about the allegations they have been facing. The FIA had earlier, through the Ministry of Interior, served a similar questionnaire to Imran Akhtar in September 2017 but it was not responded to.

Besides PIA’s former acting chief executive officer (CEO) Hildenbrand Bernd, Imran Akhtar, the brother of former Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar (retd), is accused of the sale of plane to Germany.

Soon after the News broke that a PIA plane in flying condition has been sold to a German firm at even lower than its current Written Down Value (latest re-valued on December 31, 2015) of around $4,726,792 (Rs544.944 million at the current exchange rate) and even lower than the scrap value of around $603,416 (Rs69.69 million), the PIA Board had formed a two-member inquiry committee which found Imran Akhtar and Bernd guilty of the plane sale.

Bernd, a German national, left the country for a 15-day leave with the promise that he would return to Pakistan to face the charges against him, but he didn’t.

The PIA committee had also pointed out in its findings that though the A-310 aircraft had been handed over to the German company for Euro 47,500 (Rs6.7 million at current exchange rate), no payment was received in cash, rather it was to be settled through marketing and support expense whenever PIA designs a route to Leipzig where the aircraft is currently present. PIA does not operate any routes to Leipzig currently.

After the audit report was exclusively reported by The News, Air Cdre Imran Akhtar and his 13-men team were repatriated back to the PAF in April last year. All of them had joined PIA on deputation a couple of years back.

The FIA has asked Imran Akhtar, through the questionnaire, that in what capacity he had allowed a PIA plane for shooting in a pro-Israeli movie in Malta in 2016. The PIA had charged Euros 210,000 (Rs29.7 million) for 15 days.

The FIA has asked Imran to explain how he along with Bernd negotiated and finalized the alleged illegal deal of plane sale to Leipzig against a price of Euros 47,500 (Rs 6.7 million).

The FIA has also asked Imran Akhtar to explain as to why he sold the plane at a throw-away price when according to PIA’s own documents the Book Value of the plane was $3.5 million in January 2016. The FIA has also asked the former air commodore to explain why no amount could be received in cash and instead it was agreed upon that the amount would be settled in future engagements between PIA and Leipzig authorities regarding Karachi-Leipzig-New York route which was never in the plan of the PIA.

Similarly, the FIA has asked the PIA chairman to serve a questionnaire to PIA BoD which approved the alleged controversial deal of acquiring planes on Wet Lease from Sri Lanka for PIA’s Premier Service during their meeting on July 13, 2016.

The FIA had written twice to the PIA chairman on October 23, 2017 and November 14, 2017 to get response from the BoD through such notices but to no avail. The third notice was served on April 6, 2018.

The BoD at that time included the then PIA chairman (late) Azam Sehgal, Muhammad Arif Habib, Malik Nazir Ahmad, Atif Aslam Bajwa, Syed Yawar Ali, Aslam Khaliq, Yousaf Waqar, Ghayas ud Din, Muhammad Irfan Elahi, Secretary Aviation Division (ex-officio member) and Dr Waqar Masood Khan, Secretary Finance (ex-officio member).

During its initial probe into the Wet Lease issue, the FIA has calculated a loss of around Rs3 billion to the PIA. Through the questionnaire, the FIA has asked the BoD members to explain why they went ahead with the deal when it had been pointed out that the national flag carrier could suffer a huge financial loss on direct operating cost per aircraft per three months. Due to this deal, the PIA had to suffer a loss of Rs 1.57 billion on an aircraft over a period of three months. A loss of an almost equal amount was suffered when the BoD approved the deal for another term of three months.

Talking to The News on Saturday, Federal Secretary Aviation Division and PIA Chairman Irfan Elahi said that as soon he received letter from the FIA he would surely forward it to the BoD for their response.

To a question, Mr Irfan said that as far as his knowledge was concerned, the retired air commodore Imran Akhtar did respond to a PIA show-cause notice about the plane sale issue. “I don’t know whether Imran has responded to FIA or not on the same matter but definitely I will forward him the questionnaire of FIA for his response to the allegations”, the chairman PIA said.

To a question, the chairman made it clear that the PIA management could only take departmental actions against the accused officials, if any, while it is for the FIA to act if criminal charges are proved against any of them.

Talking to The News, FIA Director General Bashir Ahmed Memon confirmed that there are certain ‘procedural delays’ in the investigation against the PIA officials in question. To a question, the DG claimed that there was no pressure whatsoever on FIA while probing the brother of former spymaster, saying, “Probe against Imran Akhtar took a while as we have to write through different offices to reach him being a PAF official.”

Now he is a retired personnel and FIA would reach him soon for his response, Mr Memon said, adding if the accused avoids responding to FIA then law will take its own course. Talking to The News on Saturday Imran Akhtar claimed that FIA never approached him as yet to get his response. To a question, he claimed that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has investigated the issue and he submitted his response to them. When asked would he respond to the FIA queries, the retired air commodore remarked, “I’m not answerable to the entire country.”

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NAB arrests four more in Ashiana housing scam

By Shahid Aslam

March 10, 2018

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore, in a late Friday night development, arrested four more accused in its ongoing probe into the Ashiana Housing scam, The News has learnt.

According to NAB officials, among those arrested included the incumbent Lahore Development Authority Chief Engineer Israr Saeed, incumbent Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) Chief Engineer Col (retd) Arif, former CEO PLDC Imtiaz Haider and Bilal Qudwani, another PLDC official.

All the accused, according to NAB were already summoned in the ongoing probe into the Ashiana Housing scam for recording their statements. They said none of them could justify their alleged role in the award of the contract of Ashiana-e-Iqbal project to M/s Lahore Casa Developers, which is a proxy group of M/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited.

“We had summoned the four accused and they were questioned for several hours. After they failed to clarify the charges levelled against them, they were formally arrested,” the NAB officials said, adding the accused would be produced before the accountability court on Saturday (today) for physical remand.

Earlier, NAB had arrested former director general Lahore Development Authority Ahad Khan Cheema to probe his alleged involvement in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Society scam. He is in NAB custody for the last couple of weeks.

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FIA faces issues in curbing human trafficking

By Shahid Aslam

February 12, 2018

LAHORE: The unfortunate incident of a boat sinking in which majority of the people out of the total 90, including over a dozen Pakistanis, died in the deep sea off the coast of Libya has left many questions unanswered regarding Pakistan’s fight against illegal human trafficking.

The loss of precious lives of Pakistanis while in search of better living is an eye opener for the authorities concerned that the ugly business of human trafficking in Pakistan is flourishing instead of being controlled.

Hardly a couple of months earlier, 20 innocent Pakistanis were murdered cold bloodedly in Turbat when they were on their way to dreamy lands of Europe, choosing the illegal land route via Iran, Turkey and Greece.

According to data from Frontex (official European Border and Coast Guard Agency), around 7,000 Pakistanis entered Europe illegally in 2017. Due to multiple issues, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the year 2017could manage to arrest only 11 out of 92 most-wanted human traffickers due to which Pakistan remained at the Tier-2 Watch List of the world ranking since again for not fully meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. Pakistan is facing the ranking since 2014.

The US State Department every year ranks each country according to its efforts in dealing the human trafficking issue. Though FIA, the premier body to check/ensure travel of passengers from and to Pakistan, has taken many steps to control human trafficking in the country, but because of several issues, the illegal business is still going on. Among the issues FIA faces are shortage of human resource, infrastructure, weak laws, etc.

For example, the Gujranwala division, particularly the districts of Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Mandi Bahauddin, are the hub of this illegal trade of honey dreams for money means but the FIA with just over a dozen investigators can’t fight this heinous crime spread in the this large area and population. Gujranwala, Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin, are hotbed of human trafficking and the FIA only has a total sanctioned strength of 60 officers/officials there. Over 500 inquiries and 1100 FIRs are currently under investigation with the districts. Approximate annual registration of inquires are over 2,400 and over 1100 FIRs in these offices in addition to other functions and responsibilities. Similarly, FIA, without its own buildings both in Gujranwala and Gujrat, is fighting this menace from rented buildings. Surprisingly, FIA Gujrat is running its day-to-day affairs from the building of a local police station.

On the other hand, over a dozen identified dead bodies of Pakistanis in the boat sinking tragedy; six belonged to three villages in Dinga city, Gujrat, alone. Out of those six, four belonged to a single family of village Rajo Bhand only. They included Ismael, 32, his wife Azmat Bibi, 29, his son Saad, 05 and his one and half months old daughter Fatima. The other two Zabi Ullah and Kamran were residents of Khori and Noon village respectively. Rehmat, bother of deceased Ismael, was also on the boat but survived fortunately.

Talking to The News, FIA Punjab Director Dr Usman Anwar said there were certain issues the agency was facing, even then they were doing a good job to fight human trafficking. He said after having deputed a liaison officer in Oman, appointment of two more officers in Turkey and Greece had been requested to the government for handling issues of Pakistani migrants.

To a question, the FIA officer said that on the directions of Supreme Court which is hearing a suo moto of Pakistanis’ killings in boat sinking tragedy, FIA officials had met the Punjab government officials to identify land for the establishment of its offices. He said like Gujrat, more sub-circles of FIA would be established in Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Sargodha.

Dr Usman Anwar also said that not a single Pakistani who died in Libya tragedy travelled from the country illegally. Intending migrants leave Pakistan on legal documents and reach Dubai to go onward to Libya or Malaysia.

“Visa stickers for Libya are easily available for such aspirants from Dubai and after dodging immigration officials while showing return ticket to Pakistan, such people catch a flight by showing the visa sticker and reach Libya.” After reaching Libya, he added, they managed boat travels to reach European countries.

Moreover, the FIA officers said no proper law to control the human smuggling had been enacted as Emigration Ordinance of 1979 was being used for these crimes but it did not define human trafficking properly. “Insufficient punishments in the relevant laws such as Emigration Ordinance and other special laws related to the matter read as “Imprisonment or fine”, which favour the accused involved in this heinous crime”, the FIA officer said, adding a special law to control this crime was proposed with the help of UNODC in 2013 which was still pending with the ministry concerned.

Responding to another query, the FIA Punjab director said, “This heinous crime could only be controlled after we addressed push/ pull factors, including education, unemployment, poverty, social equity, equal justice and better earning opportunities. He also stated that awareness campaigns should also be run by the government highlighting the dangers of such illegal travels.

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Illegal drugs: DRAP seeks action against company

By Shahid Aslam

February 03, 2018

LAHORE: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approached the FIA with a request to take action against a pharmaceutical company allegedly involved in manufacturing and selling drugs illegally, The News has learnt.

Sources within DRAP told this correspondent that with the approval of CEO, Deputy Director (Legal Affairs) Aamir Latif wrote a letter to FIA for action against M/s Everest Pharma for allegedly manufacturing and selling over 20 drugs in contraventions to the Drug Act 1976 and DRAP Act 2012.

The Authority claimed that the Everest Pharma was involved in multiple crimes, including importing raw material through illegal means, manufacturing and selling of unregistered/spurious drugs and online selling of unregistered/spurious sex inducing tablet Everlong 60 mg through www.sehat.com.pk

The Everest Pharma is owned by Chaudhry Muhammad Usman, brother-in-law of a serving regional police officer in Punjab. In its letter, the DRAP stated investigation had revealed that M/s Everest was manufacturing not less than 12 spurious and unregistered drugs including Everlong 60 mg tablet, Penboll Plus 300 mg/100 mg, Sankol Plus 200 mg/2 mg, Syrup MTD, Chill tablet, M Plus tablet, Samprid tablet, Capsule Reap, Link tablet, Capsule Silk, Leena tablet and Esper 40/30 in the country.

Furthermore, the DRAP’s investigation showed that the pharmaceutical company was also manufacturing as many as 10 unregistered and spurious drugs bearing fictitious registration numbers including Samprid capsules (Registration No 070209), Moon B Syrup (Registration No 0681713), Moon B tablet (Registration No 068705), Eversafe syrup (Registration No 070252), Eversafe tablet (Registration No 070253), Piratiz tablet (Registration No 068766), Meek tablet (Registration No 068730), Cardol tablet (Registration No 072074), Turn tablet (Registration No 070165) and Hyd tablet (Registration No. 068765).

The federal and provincial drug inspectors have also been communicated the same with directions to take legal actions as per the information, it added. “Foregoing in view, appropriate action may be initiated against owner of M/s Everest Pharma, Ch Muhammad Usman for contraventions of Drug Act 1976 and Drug Act 2012,” the letter reads.

Furthermore, the Authority made it clear that the Drug Registration Board of DRAP in its 263rd meeting held on 29th and 30th November 2016 had declared that application of registration of the tablet “Everlong” was neither presented before it nor it approved. “The DRAP has already declared the purported registration letter of the tablet Everlong as void an initio vide letter no 8-8/2016/Reg-III (M-263) dated 11th January 2017.”

It may be relevant to mention that the FIA and federal as well as provincial inspectors have registered cases against the company in the recent past for its alleged illegal manufacturing and selling of the medicines. Minister for National Health Service, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tara had also informed the Senate in writing during its 248th Session held on May 19, 2016 that from 2015 to 2017, the DRAP, FIA and drugs inspectors conducted six raids against the Everest Pharma in various parts of the country and seized its illegal manufactured drugs.

The authorities conducted raids on February 15 and 16, 2016 from M/s Hafeez Sons Medicine Company, opposite DHQ Hospital Lahore Sargodha Road Sheikhupura, on Nov 26, 2015 in Sargodha on Nov 24, 2015 in Multan and on March 1, 2015.

Similarly, the DRAP and FIA have jointly raided at the factory of the Everest Pharma in Kahuta Industrial Area during 2015 and sealed it for illegal production of medicines. When contacted, the owner of Everest Pharma confirmed to The News that DRAP had got cases registered against his company in the past, but claimed that it was done allegedly to facilitate their competitors. “The Authority took actions against my company with a mala fide intention but later on we succeed in courts,” he maintained.

“Two registered FIRs by the FIA have already been quashed by the courts,” Usman said, adding, “Everest isn’t involved in any illegal manufacturing and selling of drugs in the country.”

Responding to a question, he said a team of DRAP visited his factory only a couple of days back and expressed their ‘satisfaction’ over the manufacturing of drugs there. About cancellation of registration of certain medicines, he claimed that those medicines are still very much registered.

DRAP’s Aamir Latif on Thursday confirmed to this correspondent that they had forwarded a request to FIA for taking action against the Everest. To a question why DRAP is referring a matter to FIA instead of taking action on its own, the official stated that the Authority had been taking actions against all such illegal activities but “we also take along other agencies like FIA to fulfil other legal formalities”.

Without confirming what actions DRAP took against its official (s) who issued the alleged fake registration letter to M/s Everest Pharma, Aamir stated that to make the process of drug registration more stringent, three signatories had been put in place. He also refuted the claim of the owner of the Company that DRAP was involved in any kind of victimisation or it was taking actions against it with any mala fide intention.

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Zainab’s killer: FIA to probe murderer’s bank accounts, links with porn industry

By Shahid Aslam

January 26, 2018

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency, Lahore, has started a probe into the reported bank accounts of the arrested accused Imran Ali, who allegedly raped and murdered Zainab, The News has learnt.

A senior FIA official told this correspondent on Thursday that a thorough probe has been launched to ascertain whether more than 30 bank accounts including foreign currency accounts, reported in the media, belong to the murderer Imran and his family or not.

The media reports linked Imran with international pornography mafia claiming that he has more than 30 bank accounts and has received millions of dollars in his bank accounts over the years.

The FIA top bosses ordered an inquiry and assigned the task to Assistant Director FIA Sajjad Mustafa Bajwa. According to the official, the FIA inquiry team haswritten to State Bank of Pakistan and sought complete banking details, if any, against the names of Imran and his entire family, i.e., Imran Ali (ID Card number 3510274598347), Arshad (ID Card number 3510296099649), Salma Bibi (ID Card number 351020521569), Samreen (ID Card number 351023523472), Noreen (ID Card number 351023513877-), Fahad Ali (ID Card number 351026394247-), Zerish (ID Card number 35102967179–) and Imran Ali (ID Card number 35102756606.

Subsequently, the inquiry team has also written to 29 other banks of the country and sought complete banking details of the “subject family” to investigate their possible links with the international pornography mafia and their money trail with each other, if any.

The FIA officer said the family history obtained through NADRA has revealed that Imran might have been been holding two ID cards as his family tree disclosed that two ID cards were issued against the same name, i.e. Imran Ali, having the same date of birth — 1994. The official maintained that even if Imran has a twin brother, both cannot have the same name.

He further stated that the inquiry team has sought travel history of the accused and his family to know whether he or his family has travelled to any foreign country or not and for what purposes. He said Call Data Record (CDR) of the accused and his family was also being collected.

When approached, another officer said that the FIA team might meet the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed by Punjab chief minister on Friday (today). The FIA team would collect the required details from the JIT and also try to record statements of Imran and his entire family – currently under the physical remand of the police.

The FIA has written to regional heads of various banks including Bank Al-Habib, Bank Alfalah, Faysal Bank, Habib Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank, JS Bank, KASB Bank, MCB Bank, NIB Bank, Samba Bank, Silk Bank, Soneri Bank, Standard Charted Bank, United Bank, Al-Baraka Bank, Burj Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Meezan Bank, Barclays Bank, National Bank, First Woman Bank, The Bank of Punjab, Allied Bank, Askari Bank, Summit Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Kashf Micro Finance Bank, Khushhali Bank, Tameer Micro Finance Bank, Waseela Micro Finance Bank and U-Micro Finance Bank.