Pakistan

NTS acting chief sacked amid multiple controversies

Govt also orders an inquiry into the allegations of misuse of authorities and resources against Sherzada Khan

News Desk/riazul Haq November 17, 2017

NTS acting CEO Air Commodore (retd) Dr Sherzada Khan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The government has sacked acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Testing Service (NTS), Dr Sherzada Khan and ordered an inquiry into the allegations of misuse of authorities and resources and incompetence against him.

In a letter written to Chairman Board of Directors NTS Dr Raheel Qamar on Thursday, Minister of State for Science and Technology Mir Dostain Khan Domki said that recent reports in the media and complaints against the testing authority had earned a bad reputation for the national institution.

“This sorry state of affairs calls for immediate steps by the BoD to launch an inquiry into the issues and matters of NTS being looked after on acting charge basis by present CEO of NTS-Pakistan,” read the letter.

The state minister directed the BoD chairman to form a probe committee to look into the issue and ‘immediately dispense’ the services of Dr Khan as ‘precautionary measures’ until the inquiry was completed.

NTS acting chief among six officials summoned in Rs2bn embezzlement case

He also directed to expand the scope of the inquiry to former CEOs, ex-chairman BoD and position holders (board of directors) among other officials concerned, adding that the inquiry report must be presented within a month’s time.

The letter came to fore a day after a customs court in Rawalpindi summoned six NTS officials including Sherzada Khan in a case pertaining to money-laundering and tax evasion of over two billion rupees.

The NTS is currently reeling under simultaneous probes by the Federal Investigation Authority, Federal Board of Revenue and National Accountability Bureau.

NTS left reeling under multiple investigations

FIA’s cyber-crime unit was also probing the issue of a leaked entry test paper for admission in medical colleges of Sindh.

The Sindh government had annulled the results of an entry test and a probe was launched after a questionnaire of the pre-admission test was leaked on October 21, a day before the exams, allegedly in connivance with the NTS staff to mint money.