- Enquiry against PEF official for funds misappropriation still pending
- High-ups decide to pardon Amir Iftikhar involved in financial misappropriation
- Files remain buried in bureaucratic heap, decision allegedly made to hush up the matter
Enquiry against a senior official of Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) involved in financial misappropriation has been lying pending for more than a month, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The delay speaks volumes about the attitude of the concerned officials towards corruption.
Deputy Managing Director (DMD) (HR) Amir Iftikhar reportedly transferred the total amount of emergency allowance into his personal account denying PEF employees the right to insurance claim.
One of the employees filed an application with the Punjab chief secretary, secretary education, chief minister’s monitoring teams and other high government officials explaining the matter.
Taking serious notice of the situation, former PEF MD Ambreen Raza ordered an enquiry against the DMD and forwarded copies to the Schools Education Department and the chief minister’s secretariat as well.
Ambreen Raza said that she sought an audit enquiry from E&Y, one of the top audit firms to probe into the matter. “After my transfer from the foundation I have no knowledge about the progress of the case,” she added.
However, inside sources reveal that despite a lapse of more than a month the files remain buried in the bureaucratic heap, while a decision has been allegedly made at the top-level to hush up the matter.
A PEF senior official, seeking anonymity alleged that the high ups of both departments are trying to burry the matter as it involves billions of rupees in foreign aid distributed to hundreds of partner schools across the province. “The seniors want to resolve the matter speedily as it will bring a bad name to the foundation and raise questions from the donors. Internally, the DMD has also deposited back the money with the insurance company,” the official added.
Punjab Textbook Board Chairman Nawazish Ali holds the additional charge of PEF MD after the transfer of Ambreen Raza. Talking to Pakistan Today, he said that the decision will be made in a couple of days. “Employees with vested interests in the PEF are trying to highlight the matter but whatever the report is it will be made public,” he added.
Schools Education Department Secretary Abdul Jabbar Shaheen has gone to Indonesia and was not available for comments. However, another senior official from the department said that the schools education department has been notified for the sake of information about the ongoing enquiry. “There are charges of misappropriation against the DMD but the education department is not supposed to conduct an enquiry and it has only been informed about it,” the official added.
