The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has sought a briefing from Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Ahmed Memon over the progress in the case involving alleged question paper leak in the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination conducted by Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) a few months back. The committee met on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Talha Mehmood to review a host of issues, including the CSS question paper leak.
In February this year, the FPSC was embroiled in mega controversy following the allegations of question paper leak in the CSS exams in Balochistan. The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat had taken notice of the matter and referred the related case to FIA. In April this year, the top officials of FPSC, FIA and Establishment Division briefed the committee on alleged leakage of question paper of the CSS examination 2019 in Balochistan.
The committee was informed that one Tajamal Hussain Naqvi, the mastermind of this scandal, was arrested on February 13, 2019, which led to further arrest of six accused. The briefing given to the committee then revealed that the price of the leaked question paper was fixed at Rs 1.5 million. Further investigation revealed that the mafia which was behind the paper leak had allegedly close contacts with officials of government departments; therefore, the inquiry was extended to those departments. An employee of FPSC was also involved in the scam but the paper could not be leaked, the Senate panel was briefed in April.
The committee had asked the FIA to thoroughly investigate the matter, fix responsibility accordingly and update the committee on progress regarding the case. During the committee's meeting on Thursday, the panel's Chairman Talha Mahmood said that the Senate panel is needed to be updated on the matter. "This is the issue that involves the future of Pakistan. Those who qualify FPSC exams join civil services and serve at reputed positions. Any breach of exam secrecy in FPSC is just unacceptable. Whosoever is involved in the question paper leak should not be spared," he said, asking the DG FIA to appear before the committee in the next meeting and brief on the matter.
Meanwhile, the committee also asked the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) not to sack any of its employees. President PMDC Dr Tariq Iqbal Bhutta briefed the committee that the PMDC has a total of 224 employees, out of them one is on deputation and 223 are working in the council. These include 36 officers. Of the 224 employees, 196 are regular employees, 18 are on contract and 10 are on daily wages, Bhutta said. The president PMDC assured the committee that none of the PMDC employees would be sacked.
The committee asked Secretary Health Allah Bakhsh Malik to extend the contracts of the doctors performing duties at the Cardiac Centre of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) till December 31, 2019, and take all the necessary steps for the payment of their salaries. The secretary health briefed the committee that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination supports regularising these doctors as they are sufficiently experienced.
The committee also reviewed the regulations of the Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2019 and sought the opinion of Ministry of Law and Justice over proposed representation of provinces in National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz, the committee members including Ashok Kumar, Najma Hameed, Tahir Bizinjo, Robina Khalid, Seemee Ezdi, Naseebullah Bazai and Javed Abbasi, and senior officials of FIA, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Establishment Division, PIMS and Nepra attended the meeting.
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