ISLAMABAD: The country’s top anti-graft body has begun a probe into the charges of corruption and corrupt practices against officials of the Federal Drug Inspector Balochistan office, including chief drug inspector Syed Abdul Saleem.
The development comes on the orders of the Balochistan High Court, which told the National Accountability Bureau lately to come up with a comprehensive inquiry report on the sale of substandard and spurious drugs in the province.
The documents available with ‘Daily Times’ show that the NAB has formally asked the Federal Drug Inspector Balochistan office to produce details of the federal drug inspectors and its other officials posted to the province since 2008 along with their appointment orders, charge assumption and relinquishing reports, the charter of duties, and current posting or contract details.
It has also sought details of the relevant rules, laws, and SOPs regulating the office of Federal Drug Inspector and those of cases filed since 2008 in which drugs were declared spurious, substandard, or unregistered but they’re not referred for prosecution permission, along with reasons for it.
The NAB asked the Federal Drug Inspector Balochistan office for details of cases filed since 2008 in which the prosecution permission was granted but challans haven’t been filed with the court, along with the reason for it.
It also sought records of the cases referred for prosecution permission but the appropriate forum turned down that request and those of substandard, spurious, and unregistered drugs forwarded by the federal drug inspector for the prosecution to the Central Licensing and Registration Board since 2008. The NAB referred to Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, for the purpose.
During a recent hearing into a pharmaceutical company’s petition by the Balochistan High Court, it had transpired that the chief drug inspector of the provincial health directorate was earlier holding the position of the federal drug inspector and the documents showed that despite directions of the Balochistan drug court, neither he was suspended nor did he even bother to comply with the court’s orders about the challan submission.
The documents also revealed that 105 cases of substandard, spurious, and unregistered drugs were traced but in none of the cases except two to three, challans were submitted and even the provincial quality control board didn’t bother to grant prosecution sanction and thus, failing to follow the law altogether.
The court observed that it was unfortunate that the residents of Balochistan got substandard and spurious drugs due to the highly objectionable and pathetic performance of the provincial quality control board, provincial chief drug inspector, and federal drug inspector and therefore, the NAB Balochistan director-general should conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the matter and submit a report. It also summoned the relevant officials.
