Caretaker Sindh CM sacks seven 'corrupt officers' of BoR

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, taking strict notice of massive corruption in the Board of Revenue for many years, has removed six sub-registrars and a superintendent and ordered to appoint well-reputed officers in their places on Monday.

The CM also asked the officials to conduct the audit of all public universities in Sindh with action against those involved in embezzlement of funds.

Talking to Caretaker Minister for Revenue Younis Dhaga on the telephone, the CM directed him to remove five sub-registrars – Badar Metlo, Shakil Vighio, Nadeem Baloch, Iqbal Hussain, Ismail Rahpoto, and Asif Sarki.

He also directed the removal of office superintendent Zia Shah for his alleged involvement in corruption in the transfers and postings of Mukhtiarkars and other revenue officers.

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These officers were recently posted and now their immediate transfer has been ordered. He also directed the Board of Revenue to initiate inquiries against them and submit a report.

In a separate meeting, the chief minister also directed the Universities Boards & Departments and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Sindh to conduct an audit of all the public sector universities and direct them to establish their pension funds for timely payment of dues to their retired employees.

“I am surprised that nine public sector universities have not held their senate meetings in the last eight to nine years, he expressed his dismay, adding that, they should hold their senate meetings at the earliest.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, HEC Chairman Prof Tariq Raffi, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi, U&B Secretary Noor Mohammad Samo, and others.

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The CM was informed that most of the public sector universities were running huge losses due to financial mismanagement. At this, the CM directed the Secretary U&B to conduct an audit of all the universities through well-reputed and recognised auditors.

He also likened the world universities to that of Pakistan’s universities, saying the international institutes have introduced revolutions in science & technology, medicine, but “our universities have not shown such commendable work”.

He was of the view that most indigenous Ph.D. degree holders had no such excellence, so we need to check where the flaws exist.

The CM asked U&B and HEC to direct all the universities to establish their pension fund. He deplored the situation that retired employees of various state universities, including Karachi University were running from pillar to post to get their pensions. This system needs to be reformed and upgraded, he held.

Meanwhile, on the directives of the chief minister, the teachers of Karachi University called off their strike.

For this matter, the secretary U&B and chairman HEC held a meeting with the teachers who had suspended their routine activities for the want of their demands. Earlier, the teachers had set a prior condition that unless the CM Sindh did not meet them, they would not proceed with resuming their educational activities.

However, on behalf of the CM, the U&B secretary and HEC chairman assured the KU staff that their demands would be accepted.