‘Ghost pensioners’ unearthed in PBC

ISLAMABAD: Alleged irregularities in the process of distribution of pension to employees have been unearthed in the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

On the instruction of Federal Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Director General PBC Saeed Ahmed Sheikh has constituted a five-member inquiry committee to investigate this scandal.

DE Mohammad Aqil Khan will be the chairman of the inquiry committee. Other four members include Control Audit Syed Arslan Haider, Deputy Director IP Wing Ministry of Information Muhammad Waqar Anwar, HRMO Faryal Malik (Secretary) and Audit Officer Shahbaz Hasan.

The TORs of the inquiry committee have also been formulated. The Commission of Inquiry will investigate unauthorised pensioners who are receiving pension illegally. The commission will also investigate those PBC officers who, due to their complicity or incompetence, are facilitating ghost pensioners. The committee will also decide the mode of recovery of the amount paid to the ineligible pensioners

Correspondences and WhatsApp messages made by the officers concerned including Deputy Controller Pension Muhammad Naeem and Accounts Officer Ahmed Waqas will also be investigated. An action plan will also be suggested to prevent such irregularities in future. The committee will complete the investigation in a week.