Illegal withdrawal of orphanage funds alleged

ABBOTTABAD: Two government officials have been accused of illegally withdrawing funds from the bank account of Idara Tadrees-ul-Quran, an orphanage that has been operating in the city since 1940.

The matter has been reported to the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), urging a thorough investigation.According to reports, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Finance) Maliha Sehar and District Social Welfare Officer Saira Mushtaq allegedly influenced local bank authorities to become signatories to the orphanage’s bank account. They are accused of unlawfully withdrawing Rs570,000 from the account.

Zaheer, the bank manager, confirmed the incident, stating that the local administration pressured the bank to facilitate the transaction. He admitted that he had obtained verbal approval from his seniors before processing the payment.

When contacted, Social Welfare Officer Saira Mushtaq confirmed that the cheques were signed under the directives of the additional deputy commissioner, who was acting as the administrator of the orphanage.

The management of Idara Tadrees-ul-Quran has called for an immediate inquiry into the actions of the officials involved and demanded strict disciplinary measures if they are found guilty.

The incident was formally reported to the Governor of the SBP and the Banking Ombudsman through the orphanage’s legal counsel, Malik Saeed Akhtar Advocate. In the complaint, the counsel termed the act a blatant misuse of power.Meanwhile, the General Body of Idara Tadrees-ul-Quran made the demand for a prompt investigation and accountability for the alleged misconduct.