Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan is reportedly trying to rescue one of the sacked officers of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) allegedly involved in corruption, well informed sources told Business Recorder.
A sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee headed by Rao Ajmal had recommended that the two officers Nasir Mehmood Cheema and Sakit Salim Mirza should be suspended for alleged corruption in olive oil plants project and directed PARC management to take departmental action the accused. The accused have also given confessional statements before the departmental inquiry committee. The sources said Chairman PARC sent both the officers on forced retirement instead of terminating them in accordance with the rules.
Nasir Mehmood Cheema, in his confessional statement before the departmental committee, had acknowledged that he pocketed Rs 150 million through fake documents. Former Secretary Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Javed Mehmood, had sent the case to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for action against the officials which booked them. However, later on both the accused were released on bail. The sources said both the accused made all efforts for constitution of a committee to rehear them but former Secretary had refused to formulate any such committee.
However, as the new Secretary took charge, the accused used their influence for constitution of a committee and succeeded. The committee, sources said, has proposed minor penalty on the accused. A senior official of PARC said on condition of anonymity that Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikadar Hayat Bosan had visited PARC offices last week wherein he sought all the documents related to the scam. According to the official, Cheema did not file appeal against forced retirement within the stipulated time which implies he has already lost the opportunity to hear. The other official, Sakit Salim Mirza, had filed appeal against the forced retirement which has already been addressed properly.