DRAP relieves officer of key post

Islamabad: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has relieved officer Azhar Ali of the key office of the director (budget and accounts) and temporarily assigned it to director (costing and pricing) Amanullah.

The development comes over director Azhar Ali's reported failure to respond to the formal charge of administrative irregularities. The DRAP had issued a show cause notice to him on the matter but he didn't respond, said an official.

However, the move hasn't augured well with some DRAP officials, who strongly feel that chief executive officer of the authority Sheikh Akhtar Hussain is overstepping his powers. They fear that the CEO could be dragged to the court of law by the aggrieved officials. Those officials looked to the health services ministry, which oversees DRAP, to step in for corrective measures.