NAB team grills health secretary

LAHORE : A combined investigation team of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore, on Saturday grilled Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan during a probe into the allegations of purchase of medicines at exorbitant rates for Punjab Health Facilities Management Company.

Heatlh Secretary Ali Jan Khan appeared before the combined investigation team for over an hour to answer their questions. He was also handed over a questionnaire to be filled in and submit it to the team.

NAB was probing allegations of the purchase of medicines at exorbitant rates through central contract for the Punjab Health Facilities Management Company. A summon was issued to Ali Jan on Friday that read, “The competent authority (NAB) has taken the cognizance of an offence committed by the management of the Punjab Health Facilities Management Company under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

The inquiry conducted so far has revealed that you (Ali Jan Khan) are in possession of information/evidence which relates to the commission of said offence. So appear before the combine investigation team at 12pm at the bureau’s office.”

Punjab Health Facilities Management Company is one of the 56 companies in Punjab, against which NAB had started investigations. NAB Chairman Justice ® Javed Iqbal had ordered an inquiry into the companies in November 2017 as NAB had received complaints of corruption, irregularities, nepotism and failure to service delivery despite spending of millions of rupees.

NAB last month had also summoned the record of the companies to analyse it. The companies include Punjab Saaf Pani Company, Lahore Transport Company, Lahore Waste Management Company, Lahore Parking Company, Multan Cattle Market Management Company, Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board and Waste Management Companies.