PESHAWAR (Kashmir English): An audit report has raised serious questions over the appointment of Muhammad Tariq to an administrative position at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), highlighting alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, discrepancies in experience certificates and concerns over compliance with eligibility criteria.
According to the report, Muhammad Tariq was appointed as Associate Hospital Director on January 16, 2017, through a Selection and Promotion Committee.
He was reportedly paid a fixed monthly salary of Rs508,892, receiving a total of Rs21,882,356 over 43 months until August 2019.
Audit Flags Eligibility Concerns
The audit report stated that the position required a master’s degree in Services Management, Business Management, Public Health or Public Administration, along with at least seven years of administrative-level experience.
However, the report noted that Tariq had completed his MBA in 2010 and allegedly did not possess the required seven years of post-qualification experience at the time of his application and appointment.
The audit also highlighted discrepancies between the employment periods mentioned in Tariq’s curriculum vitae and his experience certificates relating to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and the Sahara organisation.
According to the report, an experience certificate issued by Sahara on December 16, 2008, referred to an employment period extending until January 20, 2009, raising questions about the consistency of the documentation.
Audit Recommends High-Level Inquiry
The report described the selection process as apparently suspicious and non-transparent, stating that the appointment of a candidate who allegedly did not meet the prescribed experience requirements may have deprived other qualified candidates of an opportunity.
It recommended a high-level inquiry into the appointment and called for the allegations to be investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Anti-Corruption Establishment and a government inspection team. It also recommended examining the recovery of funds in accordance with applicable rules.
The controversy has also prompted questions about administrative appointments at the hospital under the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and the administration associated with Dr Nausherwan Burki.
The allegations and audit observations require examination by the relevant authorities. The report’s findings and recommendations do not, by themselves, establish criminal wrongdoing.
