ACE initiates probe into irregularities in Rescue 1122

LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment Division Punjab, Lahore Region, has formally initiated an inquiry to probe the matter of illegal purchase of emergency ambulances, fire vehicles, recovery vehicles and other emergency equipment worth billions of rupees, illegal appointments of Rescue officers and illegal facilitation of blue-eyed officers.

According to the letter No ACE-LR-(E-No. 737/2018-LHR)-DDI/329 dated November 13 and addressed to the DG 1122, the deputy director, Investigation and Anti-Corruption Establishment Division, has sought records from Dr Rizwan Naseer, director general, Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122, including numbers of Punjab Emergency Councils meetings, compliance of decisions, complete file of noting, feasibility reports, estimates, specifications, tender documents, advertisements, details of bidders and their bids, details of fabricators, technical and financial evaluation reports, comparative statements, supply orders, delivery notes, inspection reports, laboratory tests, bid securities, bank guaranties, advance drawls, payments made, distribution notes, complaints and procurements regarding the Motorbike Ambulance Service. The division has further demanded record of publicity amount on the Motorbike Ambulance Service and the Patient Transfer Service i.e advertisements, letters, bills, and payments. The same nature of records regarding Chinese ambulances has been demanded.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment has asked Dr Rizwan Naseer to provide all audit paras for financial years 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 along with the Performance Audit Report 2010 conducted by the auditor general of Pakistan, annotated reply and minutes of Special Departmental Accounts Committee meetings held in the Home Department. This is the first time in the history of Punjab that the ACE has asked the director general to provide detailed information regarding procurement of surgical gloves, cotton bandages, crepe bandages, leather shoes, dead body sheets, printing orders from the Printing Press Punjab, phenyl bottles, surf, shoes, wireless equipment, AFFF foam, safety shoes, carried out by the committees of the Punjab Emergency Service instead of the High Power Procurement Committee headed by the secretary home for the fiscal year 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.

The division has also demanded records of the Punjab Emergency Hand Book, tenders regarding water browsers, fire trucks, recovery vehicles, rescue vehicles awarded to Ahmad Medix. Summaries of fire training and training abroad, all audit paras regarding POL, recoveries from vendors, employees of Rescue 1122 including collection of money from candidates by the deputy director HR on issuance of recruitment forms, details of payments drawn by doctors of the Punjab Emergency Service regarding Health Professional Allowance and details of payments regarding Instructional Allowance.

The ACE further demanded records regarding leave records of Aqeel Asim, accountant, Dr Rizwan Ch, emergency officer, Dr Shahzad, deputy director (Operations), Shakeel Faryal, CTWO, Ali Hassan, self-claimed head of law, recruitments and posting of all Emergency officers law, age, qualification, experience, merit sheet, appointment letters, etc. The ACE demanded record of Dr Foaad Shahzad Mirza, emergency officer and deputy director HR, Syed Kamal Abid, DEO Sialkot, Ch Aziz, DEO Gujrat, Muhammad Amir, emergency officer HR, Amir Abbas, emergency officer law, Ijaz Ahmad, budget and account officer and deputy director Finance, Osama Zeeshan, rescue and safety officer, all deputy directors Operations and all admin officers of Academy. The record shall include post-criteria, post-qualifications, age, experience, merit sheet, appointments letters, etc.

The ACE has sought the recruitment record of four blue-eyed brothers including Shakeel Asim, legal assistant, Aqeel Asim, accountant, Tanveer Asim, CTWO. The ACE demanded record of appointment of the DG himself about his controversial appointment as secretary general, Red Crescent Society, complete record of the Chief Minister Inspection Team inquiry against Dr Rizwan Naseer including the rules regarding competent authority of DG Rescue and DD HR and the complete record of Brig Arshad Zia about his appointment as director Admin and illegal extension in his contract by the DG and the DD HR. The ACE has also demanded the record of NAVTEC training, financial transaction done and inquiry report of Member-I (Enquiries), S&GAD. The record of all paid trainings imparted by Rescue officers, usage of collected money under the rules, MoU with ILM, training conducted, amount collected, financial transactions and details of trainees imparted training has also been demanded.

The ACE demanded record of donation policy of Rescue 1122, donation collected by district officers, head office, academy and sub-offices. It has also required the record of money collected from newly-recruited personnel in emergency services academy, utilisation of collected amounts, details of tenders done for procurement of shoes, uniforms, mess for cadets, etc. It demanded record of the Official Vehicle Allotment Policy and Official Residences allotted. The ACE has cautioned the director general to appoint any reasonable officer to provide record by November 16, otherwise ex-party action will be initiated.

A source privy to the development revealed to this scribe that this was a high-level inquiry initiated on the instructions of higher authorities keeping in view the repeated information of irregularities, nepotism and favouritism in Rescue 1122.