SHC orders removal of Sindh’s finance secretary

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday took an exception over the appointment of government officers, including secretary finance Syed Hasan Naqvi, who benefited from the National Accountability Bureau’s voluntary return scheme, and ordered their removal.

Hearing bail petitions of district account officer Ghulam Mustafa and others in corruption cases, the court inquired from the chief secretary as to whether the government officers who benefited from the NAB’s voluntary return scheme were removed from their posts or not.

The court observed that the secretary finance, who also benefited from VR scheme, was still holding the charge. Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon submitted that the secretary finance will be de-notified today from the post.

The court directed the chief secretary to submit a fresh list of government officers and employees, who benefited from the NAB’s VR scheme, as identity of some officers was not clear in the previous list. The chief secretary submitted that officers involved in corruption cases were removed from posts and departmental inquiries were initiated against them.

The court directed the chief secretary to submit a fresh statement about the removal of government officers, who benefited from the NAB VR scheme, from their posts on the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government issued a notification about the transfer of Secretary Finance Syed Hasan Naqvi and directed him to report to the Services Department. The government appointed additional secretary Asif Jehangir to look after the charge of secretary finance till a regular officer was posted.