NICVD admin told to cooperate with graft watchdog

The Sindh High Court extended bail on Monday for those accused in the National Accountability Bureau's case pertaining to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) funds.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro directed the accused to provide the hospital's records to the anti-graft watchdog.

NAB told the court about the progress made in the inquiry of irregularities in NICVD's funds and maintained that the NICVD administration was not cooperating in the inquiry.

Records have been sought but aren't being provided, maintained NAB officials. These include the hospital's bank accounts and human resource department records and the administration is seeking a month-long extension to provide records, they stated, requesting that records be provided immediately so the inquiry can be completed with days.

The court was informed that three accused, including Azra Masood and Karim, had contracted the coronavirus. The test reports of the accused were submitted before the court, which directed NICVD chairperson Dr Nadeem Qamar to provide all required records to the national watchdog and extended bails of the accused till December 16.

NAB has contended that the accused had illegally appointed employees at the hospital for high salaries when the appointees had no prior experience of working at a hospital.

Housing scheme

Separately, hearing a plea pertaining to payment of dues to the affectees of the Fazaia Housing Scheme, the high court directed NAB to publish a new advertisement within seven days.

The NAB prosecutor maintained that 4,100 affectees have applied for refunds thus far and money is being returned to them in accordance with judicial orders. Cheques for 3,693 affectees have been prepared, he informed the court.

The court directed NAB to continue payments to affectees and publish a fresh advertisement within a week so that all affectees are paid, and adjourned the hearing until February 25.

Reply sought

Another two-member bench, comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Adnanul Karim, sought Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Khwaja Izharul Hassan's counter-reply after the provincial government submitted its response over his plea pertaining to appointments in the Sindh Employees' Social Security Institution (SESSI).

MQM-P's Hassan maintained in the plea that the Sindh government is making illegal appointments in SESSI under the guise of the coronavirus, like those made on the basis of fake domiciles.

In its reply, the Sindh government objected to the stay order restricting SESSI appointments. It maintained appointments would be made in a neutral manner and sought for the stay order to be revoked.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2020.