LAHORE – Punjab government’s Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) has started an inquiry against Punjab Text Book Board (PTB) Curriculum Wing Director Chiragh Din Arif for committing corruption and financial irregularities and making millions through favouring private publishers.
Sources in ACE disclosed that Chirgah Din Arif misused his powers and favoured private publishers to amass million and ACE in this connection had received an application which revealed Curriculum Wing director’s financial misconduct. ACE sources said that an inquiry team under the supervision of ACE’s senior officer was in contact with the senior officials of PTB’s to establish Chiragah Din’s corruption.
Sources said that ACE’s team had checked PTB’s record and collected proofs against Chirgah Din Arif and were upbeat in the wake of initial investigation that they will be successful in exposing financial irregularities. On the other hand, it was noted that after the private publishers, paper mafia had also become active, subverting all rules and regulations. Sources inside PTB revealed that with more scams being unearthed, involving senior officials, the situation was tense when a trader of Urdu Bazaar exposed the financial misconduct of Chirgah Din Arif.
A PTB staffer, on anonymity, said a trader of Urdu Bazaar with all the documents wrote an application to the ACE that Chiragh Din Arif was involved in corruption and without caring for rules and regulations of the PTB he favoured some elements after getting millions. He said ACE jointly examined matter and approved that complaint should be sent to the Regional Director of ACE to hold an inquiry into the allegations and to proceed in accordance to law.
He said the information provided by the complainant seemed genuine and more facts will come to light after investigations. Main irregularity was committed through unlawful approval of manuscripts of private publishers. PTB sources disclosed that an inquiry officer also contacted with PTB’s chairman and secretary and directed them to produce the record.
According to a document, of which a copy is available with the Pakistan Today, ACE has asked the PTB’s officials to submit the documents covering the tenure of Chirgah Din Arif.
DETAILS OF DOCUMENTS DEMANDED BY ACE
Date of receipt of each manuscript and date wise action by PTBB on each manuscript
Detail of expenditures incurred to hold Provincial Review Committee (PRC)/Select Committee
Documents validating authenticity of mode/rates for expenditures to hold Provincial Review Committee/Select committee
Date wise receipts of amounts received from private publishers and documents validating authenticity of the receipts
Detail of all coordinates of PRC and detail of all reasons where other than PRC coordinators responded other than NRC
Copy of all complaints filed by the private publishers regarding multiple textbook development process along with its action taken by PTB
Copy of all complaints filed by employee/internal review committees/Provincial Review Committee regarding multiple textbook development processes including the complaints against manuscript cell
Disposals results of all the complaints by the competent authority
