Punjab

NGO contract cancelled after embezzlement charges

Express May 23, 2010

LAHORE: The Punjab Health Department cancelled the contract of an NGO after discovering it allegedly embezzled Rs 183 million.

According to documents available with Express News, the Health Department signed a contract with Nai Zindagi on April 1st, 2009.

The NGO was assigned with the task of collecting data about people addicted to Morphine. About Rs 965 million were allocated for the project over a five year period.

The Health Department constituted a committee to probe the issue and present a report within 15 days. The World Bank was also asked to halt funding for the NGO.

Meanwhile, the NGO's executive director has rejected allegations of embezzlement, saying that the trust was audited on an annual basis.

COMMENTS (4)

Patrick O'Gorman | 13 years ago | Reply Dear anonymous, You are having a laugh - Yes? You think you are "deep throat"? You remember "Watergate"? You have delusions of grandeur and want bring down the government? Please. I am afraid I am being too generous. Anyone who posts such extreme allegations against any person, without any supporting evidence and hides behind an anonymous tag, is nothing more than a coward and undeserving of attention. I love Pakistan. I visit often. Your behaviour and the condoning of it does not reflect well. I have always been treated with infinitely more fairness by Pakistani people than you or the newspaper editor demonstrate here. There is an English expression "put up or shut up" - It means provide your name first, then evidence and people will take you seriously. Otherwise retreat to the tiny corner from which you emerged. Patrick O'Gorman

Patrick O'Gorman | 13 years ago | Reply Dear Editor, Greetings. I am appalled that you have allowed the scurrilous and baseless comments written about Nai Zindagi to remain on this site and written by an anonymous source. Although you indicate that the views of writers and commentators do not necessarily reflect those of The Express Tribune; by allowing this comment to remain on your website (by an anonymous source) for a full week, indicates to me lack of vigilance and lack of clear sightedness on your part. Please if you have courage and conviction, remove this anonymous and cowardly comment immediately. It does great damage to your reputation for fairness. Patrick

jahanzaib.haque | 13 years ago Due to an oversight, a comment was published making groundless accusations against the NGO Nai Zindagi. The comment has been deleted. In the future we will have a 'report' button for flagging such comments. Best regards (Web Editor)

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