The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has made the decision to terminate the employment of a whistleblower who had previously raised concerns about irregularities within the department. This marks the second instance in less than three years where an officer at DRAP has been dismissed following allegations of corruption and irregularities within the organization.
According to an official notification obtained by Dawn, Deputy Director Dr. Mohammad Aleem Akhtar has been relieved of his duties due to misconduct, as per the Efficiency and Discipline (E and D) Rules of 2020. The notification outlined that Dr. Akhtar had sent a total of 44 letters to various prominent offices, including the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), making unsubstantiated claims of malpractice within DRAP. These letters allegedly caused significant embarrassment to DRAP and the entire pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan. Additionally, Dr. Akhtar was accused of using DRAP’s official letterheads for his correspondence without proper authorization.
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After a show-cause notice was issued, Dr. Akhtar requested a personal hearing, and when granted, he further requested a personal hearing with the DRAP Policy Board. Following a comprehensive evaluation of the entire situation, the appointing authority made the decision to terminate his employment.
In May of this year, Dr. Akhtar had written letters alleging that the CEO of DRAP was operating a ‘benami’ pharmaceutical company, indicating a clear conflict of interest. He also claimed that the CEO had been involved in several irregularities since his appointment as the deputy drugs controller in BPS-18 in 2002.
Dr. Akhtar contended that government officers were not permitted to take study leave without completing five years of service, yet the CEO, just two years after his appointment in 2004, went to the USA for a study leave to pursue a PhD, which was in violation of the Civil Servant Study Rules of 1996.
In a previous case in 2020, DRAP witnessed the dismissal of a grade-18 officer, Dr. Obaid Ali, who had made public allegations of malpractice within DRAP and the ministry. The officer had claimed that his removal was against the established rules and occurred without proper cross-questioning regarding the allegations he had raised. However, the ministry maintained that all necessary requirements had been met before his termination.
