Naheed Durrani’s efforts to curb corruption and other irregularities in the Sindh Education Department cost her the post of secretary, with Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq choosing to side with elements involved in receiving heavy commissions and kickbacks, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources said that Durrani has initially been sent on leave, but in fact, the move is just a precursor to her permanent transferred from the Education Department. “Pir Mazhar approached Faryal Talpur, President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister, with a request to grant permission to remove Naheed Durrani from the secretary’s post,” sources said. After her removal, proceedings initiated by Durrani against embezzlement and other irregularities in the department would immediately be stopped, and things will settle to the same position that existed before she assumed charge, sources claimed.
Durrani had sent at least three different cases of corruption and irregularities to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and National Accountability Courts for proceedings in April alone. Each of these cases dealt with embezzlement of millions – all in the name of education. The first reference sent to the NAB court was filed under section 18 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO)-1999, with Durrani pleading the court to take notice of embezzlement in procurement of some 42 vehicles, for which the Sindh government had paid Rs 94.966 million to M/S World Automobiles, Karachi.
Orders for the vehicles were placed in connection with a project backed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) named ‘Revitalization Existing Teacher Training Institutions of Sindh’. The project aimed at providing basic needs to all teacher training institutions of Sindh, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in 2006 between the Pakistan government and CIDA. The project was federally funded at a cost of Rs 1,261.733 million, with a completion period of five years from Feb 23, 2007.
The project sought to improve the quality of primary and middle-school education, and was to provide vehicles, mobile in-service teaching units, resource kits and scholarships. As many as 42 vehicles had to be provided to 42 institutions for mobile in-service teaching units, at an estimated cost of Rs 149.949 million. An agreement was inked between the then project director of the Education Department and M/S World Automobiles Karachi. After approving quotations provided, the Department paid World Automobiles in full, but despite the passage of more than four years, the company only delivered 16 vehicles.
Sources told Pakistan Today that “high-ups” in the Education Department received heavy amount from the company, and as a result, ignored the matter for four years. When Durrani assumed charge as the secretary, she inquired about the matter, and after getting an improper reply from the company, she sent a reference to the NAB court for the recovery of the remaining Rs 62 million. In the reference, she prayed to the NAB court that the respondents should be directed to provide the remaining 27 vehicles booked on advance payment as well as pay a penalty at prescribed percentage of undelivered vehicles, or return Rs 62 million and pay interest at the market rate from 2007 to the date a decision is handed out.
She also prayed to the court to initiate criminal proceedings after comparison of documents submitted by the defendants. In another reference, Durrani on behalf of the Education Department prayed the NAB court to direct the owners of World Automobiles Karachi to deliver Hinopak buses that the department placed orders for in 2007, or return Rs 37 million as well as a fine. The third case was of auditing the accounts of the Sindh Textbook Board: Durrani had written a letter to NAB authorities to screen the audit. Subsequently, NAB had initiated an inquiry last week.
Durrani had also taken strict action against illegal use of more than 20 vehicles of the Education Department by the personal staff of the minister. She had also taken notice of fake appointments in the Department, and the Anti-Corruption Department after completing its inquiry, had sent a case to the courts for further proceedings. A deputy secretary and former section officer of the Department are behind bars in this case.
