PCRWR gets new chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology on Thursday cancelled/withdrawn the order regarding look after charge given to Dr. Muhammad Ashraf as chairman of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), issued in January this year and granted the same charge to Dr. Mirza Habib with immediate effect. Dr. Ashraf had completed his three-year term several months back and wanted to have extension.

It was learnt from the ministry sources that the office order is immediate and would stand until further orders. It was issued on May 31 about the grant of look after charge to Dr. Mirza, an officer in BS-20 at the Pakistan Science Foundation.

There are speculations at the ministry that after this prudent move, the ministry would now order performance and financial audit of the eventful three-year period of Dr. Ashraf. During whose tenure, the only state-owned council in water research had hit paralysis with all its 24 water testing laboratories across Pakistan almost closed and the National Water Quality Laboratory at the PCRWR Headquarters also rendered dysfunctional.

Despite, the Senate and National Assembly’s recommendations, nearly 150 employees of the council, were also not confirmed and their pays withheld for several months.