July 11, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1423

KARACHI, July 10: Software exporters have demanded ouster of managing director, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Suhail Shahid. The demand came in the wake of an special audit report by Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), which has found corruption, fraud and thefts amounting to Rs38.549 million in PSEB.

They, in this regard, have sought an appointment with Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman.

“The whole software industry is anxiously waiting for a reply from you besides seeking a meeting to apprise you of the concerns of the industry,” says the president, Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA), Syed Hamza Matin, in a letter to the Science Minister on Wednesday.

“Dr Atta ur Rahman should now remove the PSEB MD after financial irregularities of serious nature,” Matin told Dawn.

Meanwhile sources in software industry said that the science minister has directed the MD, PSEB, to submit his reply to the findings of the AGPR’s report within 24 hours.

“We will decide our future course of action in case the Science Minister does not take any action against the PSEB MD within 24 hours,” PASHA president said.

AGPR had carried out an special audit of PSEB accounts from May 1998- 2002. According to a break-up of total irregularities of Rs 38.549 million, the amount for corruption, fraud, misuse and thefts stood at Rs5.497 million, violation of rules at Rs14.780 million, negligence at Rs16.714 million, violation of propriety at Rs0.659 million, overpayment Rs0.636 million and recoverables at Rs0.264 million.