Daily Times

KARACHI: A former managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) under investigation for embezzlement of funds and mismanagement has been out of the country on ex-Pakistan leaves approved in violation of rules, Daily Times has learnt.

Officials of the KWSB say that Misbahuddin Fareed is being facilitated by the Local Government Department to avoid investigation in nine cases lodged against him by the National Accountability Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

In these cases, Fareed is accused of financial corruption, wrong tendering, allotting civic body’s land illegally, awarding hydrant business with adopting legal procedure and posting and transfer of civic body officials in violation of service by-laws.

Misbah left the country in June 2017 as soon as the probe was started against him by the two corruption watchdogs.

Earlier, on the directives of the Sindh High Court, he was reverted from the managing director’s post on ground of out-of-turn promotion in June 2011.

He was also demoted to a lower grade on directives of the Supreme Court for holding non-cadre status on March 7, 2017.

In the latest development, Pervezul Haq, the director of Perusal Water Board, on April 30, forwarded another ex-Pakistan leave for 133 days [w.e.f April 5, 2018 to August 15, 2018] to the LG Department for necessary action.

Since Fareed is retiring on August 15 this year, officials of the water entity allege that the latest leave application is meant to ensure that he can stay away from the country until his service ends.

Rasheed Ahmad and Quyyum Khan, labour leaders of the water entity, have demanded that the government should bring him back to country and make him face all corruption inquiries.

Earlier, ex-Pakistan leaves were sanctioned for him in June 2017; August 2017; October 2017 and January 2018. The latest approval was till April 4, 2018.

According to the service rules, a government official in service can avail five-years of leave without pay subject to his/her endorsement in person after every two years. However, Fareen never returned to the country, avoiding NAB inquiry, yet kept submitting leave applications to the LGD secretary on medical and other grounds.

He is also accused of misusing his powers and funds as the project director of S-III Greater Sewerage Project of the city and the Dhabiji Water Pumping Station. These projects are worth Rs 45 billion.

Besides, Fareed has allegedly misused powers of verification of title in administrative matters, involving financial implication by Accountant/Divisional Accountant. He was only entitled to exercise special powers in emergencies (up to three percent power of DMD Finance, sanction of amount in excess of sectional estimate, three percent power of DMD), but he exercised these powers in violation of rules.

Areesha Cooperative Housing Society Limited behind Johar Complex KDA Scheme-33 encroached upon reserved land of a new (live) conduit of water supply entity, Pakistan Railway Employees Cooperative Housing Society Limited behind Karachi University, near Kaneez Fatima Society, Gulzar-e-Hijri on the land of old (live) conduit of KWSB and KDA housing scheme on KWSB land near National Cricket Stadium Karachi, meant for water system and gadgets installations are under illegal use. NAB is currently investigating these matters.

Published in Daily Times, May 7^th 2018.