Protocol officer of former FUUAST VC, son arrested

Suspects sent on judicial remand till January 3

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Lahore arrested the protocol director of former Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) vice-chancellor (VC) Dr Zafar Iqbal, Ghulam Bashir Bughio and his son Shamim Ahmad Bughio for their alleged involvement in the establishment of illegal sub-campuses.

The suspects were arrested from Karachi on Thursday and presented before an accountability court in Lahore. The court sent them on judicial remand till January 3.

Another accused Naeem Amjad had claimed in his statement to NAB that an amount of Rs2.5 million had been credited to Ghulam's account for facilitating the establishment of the illegal campuses of Fuuast. Amjad had alleged Rs5 million was also credited to the account of Shamim who was a running a business, Shahid Wood and Steel, as a proprietor.



An investigation officer (IO) of NAB told The Express Tribune that Ghulam was the front man of former VC Dr Iqbal who is also an accused in the case.

Sharing background of the case the IO said Dr Iqbal while serving as Fuuast VC had allowed to open an illegal sub-campus of the varsity in Lahore in 2013 to be managed by Amjad, owner and principal of Allama Iqbal College of Commerce. The new campus was also not approved from the syndicate and senate of Fuuast and a no-objection-certificate was also not obtained from the Higher Education Commission.

According to the IO, the federal ministry held Dr Iqbal responsible for willfully breaching the applicable law and abusing the public trust in a report submitted before the Lahore High Court. The IO also informed that former registrar Fahimuddin was also involved in the crime as he issued permission for the illegal campus.



Warrants for Ghulam and Shamim were issued by the NAB chairperson on September 27.