PESHAWAR:
An accountability court on Saturday indicted Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Vice Chancellor Dr Ihsan Ali, former vice chancellor of Hazara University, Dr Syed Sakhawat Shah and three others in a misappropriation case worth of millions of rupees.
Apart from Ali and Shah, others also charged included Abbottabad’s NIMS College of Medicines Chairperson Dr Muhammad Aziz Khan and former higher education regulatory chairperson Professor Humayun Zia. These academics have been accused for stripping parents and medical students of over Rs550 million.
The suspects were produced before accountability judge Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and a charge sheet was read out to them. However, they pleaded not guilty and will face a trial. Following the indictment, the court adjourned the case till January 23 and summoned the prosecution witnesses to appear on the next date of hearing.
Hazara university affiliation
The suspects were taken into custody on September 16, 2015 and sent on judicial remand to Central Prison Peshawar.
NAB said the investigation revealed former Hazara University VCs Ali and Shah granted affiliation to the NIMS or National Institute of Medical Sciences in Abbottabad without a mandate as enshrined in the KMU Act 2006.
The institute lacked a proper medical faculty, the bureau said. NAB added the VCs also conducted exams at the “illegal” institute. NAB accused the suspects of conniving with the “illegal” medical college which not only deprived parents of their hard-earned money, but also played with the future of students.
Besides, Aziz Khan has also been accused of engaging in corruption by admitting students to NIMS. The admission was given without a lawful mandate, prior to the institute’s recognition, in violation of rules enshrined in the PM&DC Ordinance 1962.
NAB also charged the former higher education regulatory chairperson of illegally registering NIMS and overlooking required criteria. The bureau stated Zia also failed to make mandatory inspection visits at the time. On September 22, Ali and Shah filed for bail at the Peshawar High Court. The case was fixed before PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel.
Attorneys Qazi Muhammad Anwar and Abdul Latif Afridi, in their argument before the chief justice, requested the release of their clients on bail as they were qualified educationists who played a prominent role in their field. The court accepted the plea and released them on bail.
Meanwhile, NAB filed applications at an accountability court to freeze assets of former district forest officer Muqarab Shah and forest department employee Akhtar Nawaz. The court accepted the application for hearing and summoned the suspects to appear before the judge.
NAB Prosecutor Riaz Khan Mohmand informed the court that DFO was suspected of amassing illegal assets disproportionate to his known source of income. He argued the two misused their authority and embezzled millions of rupees and the NAB director general ordered the freezing of their assets. Mohmand argued Nawaz was also suspected of conning people in the name of investment. The court summoned both suspects at the next hearing.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2016.