June 25, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 24: The ministry of law, justice and human rights looks to be under immense pressure from the media and civil society for the treatment meted out to one of its senior officials by the federal minister, as it brought up new charges against her and asked external actors not to be mistaken that they could influence the investigations.

A statement issued on Saturday reflected the psychological pressure being endured by the ministry because of the coverage of the case in the media and subsequent criticism by the civil society. The statement said: “A preliminary inquiry is going on and anyone who is misguiding the public and the media is mistaken that the inquiry officers would bow down to negative propaganda and misinformation.”

It said the inquiry would be conducted diligently and without any pressure from outside.

The press, it said, was misappreciating the situation by hailing the officer.

Saira Karim, a BPS-21 officer, working in the ministry as senior joint secretary had earned the ire of Law Minister Wasi Zafar by refusing to approve payment of millions of rupees to 560 applicants from the minister’s constituency.

The minister hit back by ordering an inquiry against the officer for alleged “grave misconduct and malpractices.”

The ministry has taken a new stance on the issue and has instead started accusing Ms Karim of having herself proposed payment of the amount to the applicants and having used fraudulent means to pose as if the payments had been ordered by the minister.

The statement accused Ms Karim of herself suggesting and approving payment of funds both last year and this year.

Mentioning other charges, the statement said she had forced an employee of the ministry to forge the signatures and stamp of private secretary of the minister.

In the absence of the minister, it said, she had forced an employee to make fictitious recommendatory letters for and on behalf of the minister’s private secretary suggesting that the minister had himself ordered for payment of funds.

The charge-sheet issued against the officer few days back spoke about tampering of files, dates and minutes of meetings, affiliation of 150 bogus and fake NGOs, embezzlement of 57 cartons of blankets and quilts received from Saudi Arabia for earthquake victims, her inefficient conduct, misguiding the media and use of derogatory language against the minister.

Establishment division sources told this reporter that the ministry of law could only hold a fact-finding inquiry against the officer but neither the minister nor the federal secretary were competent to proceed against her.

This, they said, was the purview of the establishment division and that too after the approval of the prime minister.