PMDC figures face corruption probe

FIA has booked law and administration officials over alleged malpractices

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Unit has initiated an inquiry into alleged corruption within the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). An FIR has been registered against Deputy Director Law Sara Rubab Nasir and Deputy Director Administration Sibghatullah.

Sources within the Ministry of Health informed The Express Tribune that millions of rupees were purportedly received in the name of former federal minister Abdul Qadir Patel to clear PMDC employees’ arrears. Acting on this information, the investigation was launched at the behest of the ministry’s Deputy Secretary, Rehman Shah.

Initial investigations revealed that some employees admitted to depositing money at the director’s request on behalf of the former federal health minister.

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The FIR states that the sum in question exceeds Rs61 million. Sources allege that a more extensive probe could unveil widespread corruption in 15 medical colleges registered under the previous government.

The current government revitalised the PMDC through the PMDC Amendment Act, reinstating all employees, including arrears totalling around Rs250 million.

PMDC authorities allegedly received a 25% kickback, following which the arrears were settled. These incidents occurred during the tenure of former vice president Dr Khurshid, who held the position from September 2022 to January 2023.

Dr Khurshid, when contacted, explained that he had sought inspections of the 15 medical colleges but received incomplete responses. The arrears, he claimed, amounted to Rs250 million, with 25% collected from employees through both forced and voluntary means. Notably, only five individuals resisted contributing 25%.

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The former vice president further revealed that one individual from Sindh, facing a demand for Rs200,000-Rs300,000, succumbed to a heart attack. He clarified that the two cases under FIA investigation occurred during his tenure, and it was the responsibility of the new council, post-retirement, to inspect the 15 medical colleges registered during the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) tenure.

According to sources, these 15 colleges were recognised by the defunct PMC in the year 2020 “without inspection”. The PMC did not conduct an inspection even in the year 2021.

The present PMDC has stopped admissions into these 15 colleges for the ongoing year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2023.