Musarrat Misbah misused victims, funds

ISLAMABAD: Musarrat Misbah, a beautician-turned-supposed philanthropist has been honoured with the President’s Pride of Performance Award, at a time when the government’s own agencies are investigating into her alleged embezzlement of funds

Also, the principal Italian donor of her NGO, Depilex Smileagain Foundation, has stopped funding under the same allegations, demanding her of providing details of the hefty grants already sanctioned. Likewise, the Italy ambassador to Pakistan whose country was donating the lion’s share has stressed on “taking note of the charge of non-transparency” of the NGO.

The scandalous performance of the NGO that has won Musarrat the Pride of Performance award, also reflects on the work of so-called local charity organisations, feeding on foreign taxpayers’ money with little deliverance. Interviews with different people disclose the work done by others has been claimed by the NGO to fetch more funds. The pictures of the victims, treated without the NGO’s assistance, have been used for funds collection. Several directors of the NGO have already resigned in protest against the malpractices, turning the organisation now a family affair as Musarrat’s close relatives are running the show.

The NGO was set up with a purpose to restructure the faces of the acid burn victims, mostly females, and the same work has been cited by the government for granting the prestigious award to Musarrat.

Such a sad state of affairs which not only raises questions about the performance of the NGO mafia, also calls into question the criteria of selecting people with ‘distinguished performance’ for honouring with the national awards.

As far the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of funds, it started when one Qadir Nawaz Sangi from Multan moved the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Sangi, who had donated two acre lands to the Depilex Smileagain, told the SECP through an application that

the land was to be used for setting up a hospital for treating acid burn victims and raising a vocational training centre for them. The project worth Rs380,000,000 has yet to be started after the lapse of three years as only the boundary walls have been raised around. The inordinate delay fuelled suspicions in Sangi’s mind. The funds were to be allocated by the Italian donor, Smileagain Italy.

As the SECP started investigation, the Economic Affairs Division secretary, in the meanwhile, inquired into the complaint and proposed to the Italian ambassador through a letter that “we should not go ahead with the current counterpart (Depliex Smileagain)” and funds instead be diverted to Nishtar Hospital that “carries good reputation.” The donors resultantly agreed, posing no-trust on Musarrat-led, Depilex Smileagain Foundation.

In the meanwhile, the principal donor, President, Smileagain Italy, Clarice Felli, came to Pakistan in December 2009, held a press conference and demanded Musarrat of answering questions regarding the details of funds, equipment, medicines and expanders donated. She also sought the details of more than 1,000 surgeries carried out as was being claimed by Musarrat. She also questioned the utility of funds collected for setting up the hospital in Multan. Not a single question has been answered till date.

A cellular company, Warid Telecom, that entered into a contract of circulating public service messages to collect donations for the NGO, had to cancel the agreement after getting to know about their fraudulent practices, the media manager of the Warid told The News.

By the time the SECP initiated inquiry seeking details of the accounts, Musarrat sought the stay from (now defunct) Islamabad High Court instead of handing required information to the SECP that directed SECP’s investigation into the matter till the further order. But as summoned, the SECP submitted before the court: “It is interesting to observe that the appellant is not leaving a single stone unturned to avoid this investigation (into the affairs of the NGO).” Musarrat, in order to buy more time, registered an FIR against the NGO’s accountant alleging him of stealing the account record from Lahore but she has not appeared for a single time to give evidence against the accountant before the court.

As the NGO has been registered as headquartered in an Islamabad-based salon, it has never been used by Musarrat, the owner of the salon said. The SECP raising the question about record theft, has observed that why the NGO didn’t have the back-up copies audit details, and why it has not been stored in head office. Musarrat hasn’t replied these questions to the SECP. The audit firm hired by Musarrat has also refused to work any further. The accountant, who was implicated in record theft case, has now been declared innocent by the Lahore High Court, terming baseless the allegations levelled against him.

Interviews with the doctors, carrying out plastic surgeries, revealed that the work done by them without the NGO’s help has been claimed by Musarrat.

The stories that the Italian donor, Clarice Felli, learned from burn victims during a visit to Pakistan are also revealing. Shahram, victim of electrocution who had lost an arm and leg, had handed their whole family’s passports to Musarrat on the promise they’d be sent to the US for treatment. She raised funds on the boy’s name using his pictures but never sent abroad nor did the passports were handed back. The News contacted Musarrat for her version and emailed a set of 16 questions on her demand. But instead of replying to them, she accused this correspondent of harassment as was approached to know when they would be responded. She said she would only consider what to do with the questions upon reaching Lahore but declined to give any timeframe. She didn’t commit either if the questions would definitely be replied and instead said the matter is pending with the court, she may not reply. But as a matter of fact, only the SECP’s inquiry has been stayed by the court but it doesn’t clear her of the allegations thrown.