ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be shocking development, as bribe rampant in some of the government departments, Pakistan Irrigation (Power) Union CBA President Muhammad Atiqur Rehman Khan gave a cash worth Rs0.1 million as a bribe to the joint secretary/NIRC Registrar for Trade Union (RTU) through his deputy registrar for the registration to get favour; however the latter despite getting the amount did not give him the favour.
The failure to fulfill the commitment angered the CBA president and wrote to FIA director general, Overseas Division secretary against Joint Secretary Noor Zaman and demanded to remove him from his position as NIRC RTU, besides taking legal action against him. “I am the central president of Pakistan Irrigation (Power) union CBA. I submitted the documents regarding approval of my union election in NIRC Islamabad and Noor Zaman has to give the approval. I was allotted 13(35)2018 case number,” the letter reads.
“I visited NIRC Islamabad along with Syed Irfan Shabbir and Muhammad Younus on March 12, 2018. We met Naveed Ahmed Khokhar, the PSO/deputy registrar for registration to RTU Noor Zaman,” he added. Atiq said that Naveed Khokhar asked him since he is very close to Noor; hence he could get election approval from Noor Zaman as he even managed to take election approval of the opponent group.
“Khokhar told me that if you want early approval of your case then you should come to library on first floor. I along with my colleagues went there to meet Khokhar, he asked the men present there to leave the office for a while,” Atiq narrated his story. He said that Khokhar offered him that if they give him Rs 0.2 million, then he would help them get the election approval. However, “I told him I do not have much cash,” he said.
He alleged that Noor Zaman and Naveed Khokhar gave election approval to their opponent group while taking bribe; however they did not give them the election approval despite greasing their palms. The application further mentioned that Noor Zaman did not give approval of the case; hence he requested FIA to look into the matter and the department registered a bribe case against Noor Zaman and Naveed Khokhar.
Sources said that Naveed Khokhar was the blue-eyed boy of the NIRC chairman and RTU/joint secretary and now has been sent underground to release/avoid pressure and more scandals. The uproar of Khokhar’s leaving the country with the nexus of his high ups is very concerning and alarming for the department and the ministry.
Pakistan Today made a number of attempts to talk to Muhammad Atiqur Rehman but no vain. On the other hand, Noor Zaman refuted to get money however he stated that his association had conducted a bogus election and we have rejected this. Regarding the Naveed Khokhar, Noor Zaman said that he has been transferred to Multan prior to this episode.