Irregularities at: NISTE Probes against officials swept under the rug

Officers are served charge sheets but some invisible hand delays the process

ISLAMABAD: National Institute of Science and Technical Education (Niste) has brushed under the carpet at least ten inquiries against its 36 officials – including a former director general (DG) regarding serious misconducts, misuse of official powers, illegal appointments and violation of service rules.

These inquiries were initiated during the last two years and the concerned officials were served with charge sheets but some invisible hand has been successful to delay this process.

Intentional delay in completion of such important inquiries has not only caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer but is also a setback to the administrative accountability and good-governance mechanism of Niste.

These facts were disclosed, when Capital Administration & Development Division (CA&DD) Secretary Hamid Ali Khan sought progress report from NISTE director general on these inquires.



As per documents available with Express Investigation Cell, the secretary in a letter dated Oct 29, 2014 directed heads of all attached departments of the CA&DD including Niste that progress of all pending inquiries be submitted at the earliest. The document available with the Express team reveals that Niste former DG Muhammad Salman used official staff car of 1,300cc instead of 1,000cc vehicle which caused monetary loss.

Four separate inquiries – against director Zafar Mehmood Malik and 25 other officials – on the charges of illegal appointments, provision of wrong information and recovery of illegal payments of Rs1.7 million are also still pending against DG Libraries Chaudhry Muhammad Nazir and his associates.

Similarly, two inquiries against Assistant Professor Engr Abdussabooh are underway on the charges of appointment of his real brother under his subordination and misconduct in the allotment of official residence.

Two inquiries are also pending against four accounts officers on the charges of illegal promotions. Moreover, an inquiry against a director Alyas Qadeer Tahir has been initiated on the charge of availing unlawful house hiring facility and denial of assigned duties, report said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2014.