LAHORE - The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has called a meeting of its Board of Directors to decide the fate of its protesting employees, The Nation has learnt.
According to sources, the BoD meeting is called on today (Tuesday) in a wake of strike of the employees which continued on third working day on Monday against the irregularities in the organisation. The sources said that the BoD may fire those who are ‘defaming’ the organisation.
Warning of disciplinary action, the PEF management has twice issued notices to the protesting employees terming unlawful the protest.
The sources said that the PEF, which is an autonomous body aiming at providing free education to the browbeaten strata through public private partnership, became a hub of misappropriation as many blue-eyed persons have been hired against the merit on key posts, as well as financial embezzlement was also unearthed in the organisation. They said enquiries against the embezzlement were pending but the authorities were not paying heed to the issue.
They said that the management of the organisation spoiled the merit during the recruitments made in PEF. They said that the eligibility criterion, qualification and professional experience had been exploited while inducting Deputy Director Finance Syed Muhammad Safi Sarwar. They said his recruitment was against the PEF rules and regulations.
They said that Syed Muhammad Safi Sarwar, newly appointed Deputy Director finance, was internal auditor of PEF last year.
Safi Sarwar being internal auditor found clear misappropriations in (cash office) made by DMD finance Malik Salman Anwar. Syed Safi Sarwar had been influenced and approached by DMD HRM Amir lftikhar on behalf of DMD Finance and the interests of the organisation have been compromised to hide the manifold corruption and foibles and follies of the above mentioned DMD’s.
Safi Sarwar accepted the offer to be hired as deputy director finance, the sources claimed.
“Amir iftikhar, DMD HRM, and Salman Anwar Malik, DMD Finance, have been involved in misappropriation of funds. Their inquiries have been pending with the higher authorities for long, till date not a single decision has been made,” the sources said.
They also said that PEF chairman appointed Managing Director PEF Aneela Salman single handedly. PEF MD Aneela Salman by no means fulfills the criterion required and mentioned in the PEF rules and regulations, they added.
Inquiries against MD Aneela Salman, DMD HRM Amir lftikhar and Deputy Director finance Syed Muhammad Safi Sarwar are pending with the Anti-Corruption Establishment.
When contacted, HRM DMD Amir lftikhar expressed ignorance about the inquiries. However, the sources claimed that he had appeared twice before the Anti-Corruption Establishment. PEF chairman Raja Anwar was unavailable for comments on the issue.