PAS officer suspended for no fault, reinstated after 14 days

PESHAWAR: The federal government reinstated the suspended Grade 20 PAS officer Muhammad Zubair posted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after 14 days, declaring him innocent.

Sources in bureaucracy told this correspondent Zubair was not served any notice for suspension in haste. Family sources said that he faced severe mental stress even though he had nothing to do with the issue of sending nurses to Saudi Arabia through fake certificates.

One of the senior officers on condition of anonymity said such kind of abrupt suspension orders would further discourage officers of federal bureaucracy from taking responsibility and performing their official duties the way NAB’s action in past did.

Muhammad Zubair was suspended without any inquiry or any prior notice. He was never posted as Director General Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment but was given additional charge for a few months during his posting as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas.

Sources told this correspondent that about 98 nurses were sent from Rawalpindi to Saudi Arabia by overseas promoters from October 2022 to December 2023. The private overseas promoter in collusion with the HR specialist of the Saudi Arabian company, the fake credentials and experience certificates of the nurses were uploaded to the Saudi software.

Two inquiries were held about the scam, in which action was ordered against those, responsible, but Muhammad Zubair’s name was not included in these inquiries. Interestingly, Muhammad Zubair was holding the post of Joint Secretary. He was given additional charge of DG Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment for a few months. During that time, only 12 nurses went abroad, while the nurses with fake credentials went to Saudi Arabia before his assumption if charge.

Despite this, Muhammad Zubair was suspended on May 13, 2024, without any inquiry or show cause notice or personal hearing. Muhammad Zubair gave a representation to the Secretary Establishment Division, which was accepted and he was reinstated on May,27,2024. Muhammad Zubair has held many important positions in the province including Commissioner of Peshawar, Secretary Establishment.