FIA summons PMDC officers over ‘corrupt practices’

Launching an investigation into the alleged corrupt practices under way at the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has summoned five of its employees on March 1.

They include PMDC Assistant Registrars Dr Suleman Ahmed and Dr Sitara Hassan; Deputy Director Legal Sara Rubab Nasir; LDC Adeel Ahmad; and PS Waseem Imrani.

“This agency is conducting [a] probe into corrupt practices, violation/irregularities committed by officials/officers during the provisional recognition without prior inspection & re-recognition of medical/dental colleges,” read an attendance order issued by FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi.

“You are therefore directed to provide complete record file pertaining to approval, recognition, inspection, students intake year wise along with legal [and] financial implications of [the] college[s]/school[s] under your domain [and] appear before Mr Nouman Khalil Assistant Director (Enquiry Officer) at [the] FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, Islamabad G-13/3, on 01/03/2024 at 11:00 AM to record statement[s] [and] provide relevant record pertaining to the subject matter.” It continued.

The FIA Anti-Corruption Circle launched an inquiry into allegations of corruption within the PMDC in December last year as well.

An FIR was registered against Deputy Director Legal Sara Rubab Nasir and Deputy Director Administration Sibghatullah.

Sources within the interim health ministry informed The Express Tribune that millions of rupees were purportedly received in the name of former federal health minister Abdul Qadir Patel to clear the arrears of the PMDC employees. 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.

The FIR stated that the sum in question exceeded Rs61 million.