ISLAMABAD: Brigadier Zulfiqar (retd), Chief Executive Officer of Pak DataCom, a subsidiary of the Ministry of IT and Telecom on Monday accused his own board of directors and the ministry of ‘victimization, humiliation, and forced leave’.
He made these claims during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, which met with Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan in the chair here on Monday.
Addressing the committee, he said he had come to the highest parliamentary forum in the hope of justice, claiming that he was unlawfully sent on forced leave despite his performance as CEO. He told lawmakers that Pak DataCom is among Pakistan’s 16 listed IT companies and that, under his leadership, it rose to become the country’s second-largest IT company.
“Despite delivering results, I was forcibly sent home,” he said, adding that he was subjected to humiliation and intimidation. The Pak DataCom CEO alleged that his troubles began after he removed what he described as “a few disruptive elements” from the company. According to him, he was subsequently threatened and told to reinstate those individuals or face consequences.
“In my entire military career, I never faced the kind of humiliation and threats that I am facing now,” he told the committee.
Reacting to the allegations, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee questioned the justification for sending a serving CEO on forced leave. Senator Afnanullah termed the matter “extremely serious” and said the Ministry of IT and Telecom must provide clear answers on the allegations levelled by Brig Zulfiqar (rtd).
Officials from the Ministry of IT and Telecom sought time from the committee, stating that they would present a detailed briefing on the issue in the next meeting.
The committee chair directed the ministry to submit a comprehensive briefing in the next meeting on the Pak DataCom CEO’s complaint and allegations, emphasizing the need for transparent inquiry into the matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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