NAB notices to Durrani, other PPP leaders over varsity jobs

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani and other Pakistan People's Party leaders for issuing recommendation letters to the Vice-Chancellor of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari (BBSUL), Karachi, for appointments of their favorite candidates in the university.

According to the official correspondence available with The News, NAB call-up letters have been issued to Speaker Siraj Durrani, former Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, adviser to Chief Minister Sindh, former MNA Nabeel Gabol, former MPA Saniya Naz Baloch, former Sindh minister Jawaid Nagori, former MNA Shahjahan Baloch and former MPA Muhammad Saleem Hingoro in an investigation against Vice-Chancellor Akhtar Baloch over alleged illegal appointments in the university without tests, interviews and advertisements of the posts.

The complain verification was authorised against the management of the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari, Karachi, for alleged illegal appointments of some 100 plus employees in the university in 2016.

According to the official statement of NAB, the decision to launch a probe was taken in the Executive Board meeting of NAB. Sources close to NAB told this correspondent that the NAB had received many complaints regarding the alleged illegal appointments and other matters of corruption in BBSUL, including dozens of appointments of the close relatives of senior faculty members, including the vice-chancellor.

They said that revelations about the "recommendations of the PPP leaders for the appointments" had been made by VC Akhtar Baloch before the NAB and after that letters were issued to the said politicians.