CADD, HEC to probe SZABMU’s private account

Apex court seeks report within two months

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and the Higher Education Commission to complete an inquiry into alleged misappropriations in the joint account of the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) Islamabad and submit a report within two months.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard multiple petitions filed by different hospitals. The bench also heard the matter of the joint bank account of the medical university, raised by Dr Waqar.

In his petition, Dr Waqar stated that a joint bank account of SZABMU and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) had been opened by the university’s registrar Dr Muhammad Amjad and his wife Dr Noshela Amjad.



According to the petition, the account was meant for educational grants in the field of medicine. But the registrar and his wife allegedly used it for regular cash transactions. The savings account in National Bank of Pakistan was operated from February to June 2015.

The CADD and HEC had been probing the issue but the registrar managed to obtain a stay order from the Islamabad High Court. But that restraint was vacated the next day.

Chief Justice Nisar, while hearing the issue, remarked that if the registrar does not appear before the inquiry and again move the court to halt the probe, the apex court would transfer the inquiry to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Meanwhile, the registrar told the court that he would cooperate with the HEC and CADD in their probe.

The HEC will inquire whether any irregularities took place in the funds or if the procedures of the government were violated.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2017.