LAHORE
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Monday arrested former vice-chancellor of Federal Urdu University of Arts and Technology Dr Zafar Iqbal and other accused on the charges of cheating public at large, misuse of authority and obtaining pecuniary advantages through corrupt and dishonest means.
According to a NAB Lahore press release, former registrar Dr Fahim-ud-Din and Director Naeem Amjad of the university have also been arrested on the same charges.
The accused former VC of FUUAST Karachi, Dr Zafar Iqbal and former registrar Dr Fahim-ud-Din obtained illegal gratifications of Rs20 million through cash/cheques/drafts from time to time by Managing Director sub-campus, Lahore Naeem Amjad through their front man for opening of an illegal sub-campus of the university at Suggian, Lahore. However, the sub-campus being illegal ab initio stopped its operation after some time and didn’t pay back the fees to the students. In 2005, students of the sub-campus approached NAB Lahore and filed claims of Rs170,000, approximately. The complainants alleged that a number of students got admission in various fields offered by the sub-campus of FUUAST, Lahore. The management conducted classes for a few months and misappropriated the fees of students without conducting examination.
NAB Lahore approached current VC Dr Sulaiman D Muhammad for the documents related to the opening of sub-campus by the previous VC. Whereas, managing director of the sub-campus, Lahore filed a writ petition in LHC. The LHC ordered that the matter be placed before the President/Chancellor of the university to look into the affairs as well as Lahore sub-campus. Therefore, President being the Chancellor of the FUUAST referred the matter to the NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry to proceed in accordance with the law.
The case after approval of NAB chairman was referred to NAB Karachi and after conducting preliminary investigation the case was referred to NAB Lahore. NAB Lahore after verification presented the case in Executive Board Meeting (EBM) in January 2017 and the chairman authorised accorded approval of inquiry against Dr Zafar Iqbal and accomplices on the allegations of misuse of authority, as the accused allowed opening of illegal sub-campus unlawfully for personal gains. NAB Lahore arrested former VC and former registrar from Karachi and Director Naeem Amjad from Sialkot.
seized: Anti-smuggling staff of Customs Collectorate (Preventive) during a raid has recovered smuggled dry milk from a rice mill at Muridke.
Addressing a press conference at Lahore Collectorate on Monday, Chief Collector (Central) Sumaira Nazir along with Collector Customs (Preventive) Zulfiqar Younas said it was the biggest raid in the history of customs’ anti-smuggling wing. The chief collector said over 9,000 bags (233-metric ton) of dry milk were from Saleem Rice Milk a few days ago. No arrest has so far been made.
Ms Sumaira said during an initial probe it had been revealed that each bag was having stamps of “cargo in transit to Afghanistan” which, according to her, indicated that the recovered bags of milk were originally imported for consumption in Afghanistan under Pak-Afghan Transit Trade and later smuggled back to Pakistan. The chief collector suspected that the owners of the rice mills/goods were involved in repacking the goods after getting the bags locally printed to change the bags with those carrying stamps of cargo in transit to Afghanistan.
Responding to media queries, Collector Customs (Preventive) Lahore Zulfiqar Younas said an estimated amount of the recovered milk is about Rs 63 million. He said a case has been registered, adding an investigation would be conducted to nab all the accused including customs officials involved in the smuggling case.
To another question, he said no action has so far been taken against any accused customs officials allegedly involved in clearing smuggled stents supplied by companies to Mayo Hospital. “So far we have provided what FIA demanded from us. The stent case is in the Supreme Court and we would follow whatever action the court would suggest”, the collector remarked.
