Punjab Home Dept questions Rescue 1122 performance

Reply to DG’s plea for regularisation cites series of inquiries

LAHORE: In a reply submitted to the Lahore High Court, the administrative department overseeing the Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 has cited allegations of a culture of sexual harassment, corruption and nepotism in the organisation.

The Home Department, in the reply submitted with regard to a petition filed by Dr Rizwan Naseer for his regularisation as Director General of Rescue 1122, also termed the service’s claims about performance “self-assumed” in the absence of “third-party validation”.

The department cited observations made by the provincial ombudsperson for protection of women against harassment at workplace. The submission reads, “Khatoon Mohtasib made judicial observations that culture of sexual harassment is prevalent in PES-1122, one person has been heading the organisation for more than a decade and a significant change in top management may give positive reflection upon the affairs of the organisation.”

It said an appeal against the decision of the ombudsperson was rejected by the governor.

It added, “As per an inquiry conducted by Member-I (enquiries), S&GAD, the petitioner was found guilty of bias, maladministration, illegal recruitments and patronising delinquents of sexual harassment.”

The Home Department stated that during an evaluation by the director general or monitoring and evaluation of the P&D Department, procured ambulances and generators worth millions of rupees were found substandard.

“As per an inquiry conducted by Member-II (enquiries), S&GAD, the petitioner awarded procurement contracts worth Rs29.8 million to blacklisted companies and made illegal recruitments,” the Home Department added.

It claimed that an inquiry by a special committee had also found the petitioner involved in corruption in the purchase and fabrication of motorbike ambulances.

“An inquiry is underway in Anti-Corruption Establishment against the petitioner on account of corruption in procurement of emergency vehicles, recruitments in violation of merit and recruitment policy and illegal collection of money from cadets,” it added.

Mentioning yet another inquiry, the department stated that the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, after a fire broke out in the LDA office, had accused the petitioner of inefficiency and mismanagement of rescue operation, which resulted in loss of 23 lives. “The competent authority has approved disciplinary action,” according to the reply.

Home Department also put a question mark on the performance of Rescue 1122. “The achievements mentioned by the petitioner are self-assumed and are not authenticated by third-party validation.”

On the other hand, Dr Naseer said he had approached the court for his due right of regularisation as DG. He said

the case pertained to a legal issue and the respondents should have addressed legal lacunas, if any, is his plea.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2020.