ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Science and Technology has asked the concerned ministry to at least suspend those officials against whom corruption inquiries were pending for over a year.
The committee, chaired by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, was discussing the allegations of corruption and illegal appointments in the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday.
The committee members noted that the officials involved in practices were still holding important positions at the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), an attached department of the ministry.
The members directed S&T Minister Fawad Chaudhry to stop the corrupt officials from working at the earliest.
Showing a list of the inquiries, committee chairman Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said despite the directions of the committee, the ministry was reluctant to remove those involved in malpractices, corruption and illegal appointments in PSQCA.
“Why is Ghulam Umer Kazi, who is presently serving as PSQCA secretary, still working position despite corruption inquiries against his name?” he asked.
Responding to the chairman, S&T Minister Fawad Chaudhry assured that the orders of the Senate’s committee would be implemented and a compliance report in this regard would be submitted in the next meeting.
“Most of the people under investigation have already been suspended and if the committee finds any such person, the ministry will comply with the direction.”
The committee sought the list of suspended officials in the next meeting.
It is pertinent to mention that the committee chairman, during the previous meeting, had directed the ministry to ensure the presence of PSQCA inquiry officers so that the committed could be briefed on the progress of corruption cases. Besides, the committee had also recommended that all such employees of organizations under MoST against whom inquiries are pending for over one year should be suspended.
