At BBH: ACE initiates inquiry into allegations of irregularities

PML-N leaders had major say in appointments

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has initiated an inquiry into allegations that irregularities were committed in 185 appointments against non-gazetted posts at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and an associated filter clinic, The Express Tribune has learnt. According to sources, the ACE officials have launched an inquiry following reports that irregularities had been committed in the process of the appointments.

Due to the allegations, appointment letters have not been issued to the successful candidates.

District Coordination Officer Talat Mahmood Gondal had also taken custody of the relevant records.

The sources further said that candidates favoured by a former PML-N MNA were declared successful and the step had annoyed a sitting federal minister, whose supporters were not accommodated.



In October, the BBH administration advertised vacant posts in 16 non-gazetted categories. Out of the 185 posts, 22 were for a newly-established mother and child clinic at Committee Chowk.

Sources at BBH said that a committee chaired by BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Qadir Mir started the process of the appointments. BBH Administration Additional MS Dr Safdar Masood and District Headquarters Hospital MS Dr Khalid Randhawa were also members of the committee, the latter as a representative of the provincial health secretary.

The committee hired people such as clerks, watchmen, receptionists, operators, lab technicians, X-ray technicians, ECG technicians, and others. The Board of Management for Rawalpindi Medical College and its allied hospitals, in a meeting on November 28, approved all the appointments, the sources confided.

The sources further revealed that the inquiry initiated by the DCO had learnt that 11 clerks were hired despite being ineligible for the posts as they did not have the required typing speed. They were confident that the inquiry will lead to the uncovering of more irregularities.

Dr Asif Qadir Mir, who recently retired as BBH MS, was accused of obtaining illegal gratification for appointing undeserving people, the sources said. The sources, quoting Dr Mir, said that he did not issue appointment letters after “finding some typos” in the final list of successful candidates.

ACE Rawalpindi SHO Sheikh Nasir confirmed that an inquiry had been initiated based on information from a source report.

In response to a question, he said that the ACE had not received a written complaint from the DCO office. He said that the ACE investigators might take eight to 10 days before reaching a conclusion.

On the other hand, a local PML-N leader, seeking anonymity, said that a federal minister got annoyed after he learnt that his supporters were not accommodated in the appointments. He said that all successful candidates were recommended by a former PML-N MNA from Rawalpindi. He further said that the inquiry into the appointments had been launched at the behest of the federal minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2016.