Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed the registrar of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) to appear before an inquiry committee investigating irregularities at the varsity.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar warned that the matter would be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) if the registrar did not appear before the inquiry committee.

The inquiry is being conducted by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) against the registrar on allegations that the official funds of university and its allied PIMS Hospital have been transferred to the personal account of the registrar.

The top court also directed CADD to submit its findings about the allegations within two months. The top court also directed officials to submit details of banking transactions of PIMS every three months.

Former Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had taken suo moto notice over the alleged corruption and misappropriations in supply of medicines, nitrogen and oxygen gases at Polyclinic Hospital.

The probe widened after several people filed impleadment applications to bring issues such as poor administration and lack of equipment at the other hospitals of the federal capital.

A three-judge bench on Tuesday took up the matters for hearing.

During the course of hearing, one of the applicants told the court that university and hospital funds were being transferred through the accounts of registrar and his wife. Law officer Amir Rehman told the court that an inquiry committee, comprising officials of HEC and CADD, was already conducting an inquiry into the matter.

He further informed the court that the National Bank of Pakistan, which had opened the accounts, had conceded that a mistake had been made by one of its employees.

Another applicant, Dr Waqar, had also requested the top court to issue the directives to the government for separating the administrative affairs of SZABMU and PIMS Hospital.

Dr Waqar informed the court that chances of corruption would decrease if the university was separated from the hospital as both entities would have separate accounts.

He stated that the matter pertained to Rs 8 billion. “A bill regarding separation of the university from the hospital was pending in the National Assembly,” he said. He requested the court to issue an interim order for the separation of the university from the hospital till the legislation was passed.

However, chief justice observed that legislation was the jurisdiction of Parliament. “Judiciary cannot interfere in the Parliament’s jurisdiction. It can only intervene if an issue is brought before it,” he said.