previous education minister, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, when the chief minister’s daughter Naheed Shah Durrani was the secretary of education.
However, the chief minister removed the dedicated and honest secretary education when pressured by Pir Mazhar and the inquiry report against Neelofar, who was one of the blue-eyed officials of the minister, was put in cold storage.
Others who faced departmental inquiries include Atta Ullah Bhutto and Shamsuddin Dal, both (BPS-19) who twice served as the Director Schools (Karachi). Another official Abdul Latif Mughal (BPS-19) was a head master, who later went on to hold the charge of DO Elementary (Male) and helped his son and daughter get appointed as teachers by misguiding the education department.
One more official, Abdul Jabbar Dayo (BPS-18) was found to be involved in illegal appointments while Qasim Baloch (BPS-19) is facing departmental action for issuing about 100 bogus appointment orders in different cadres without any vacancy.
Others include Mumtaz Ali Shaikh (BPS-19), Ahmed Nawaz Niazi (BPS-19), Yar Muhammad Baladi (BPS-19), Nasrullah Qureshi (BPS-19) and Syed Taj Muhammad (BPS-18).
The education secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho has issued directions to all sections of his department to fully cooperate with NAB and anti-corruption department so the investigation is completed in time and all the corrupt officials can face the music. He claimed that both investigating departments would have full access to education department’s records.
A senior official of the department while talking to The News on the condition of anonymity, said the education department had given enough evidence to anti-corruption department and NAB to prepare a charge sheet against the corrupt employees who are currently on suspension.
He said most of the irregularities were reported from Karachi, Sanghar, Dadu, Jacobabad and Kambar-Shahdadkot districts.
What still remains a mystery, is that the education department has not named the former education minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq — who is currently on protective bail from the Sindh High Court — in any of its investigations or departmental actions despite the fact that he was fully aware of illegal appointments, misuse of funds and powers within the department.