GUJRAT: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Gujrat circle, has booked Gujrat Executive District Officer (health) Dr Ijaz Haider on graft charges.

He had earlier been booked by police in two criminal cases after the district government had sent him on a forced leave of 15 days which concluded on Saturday.

The provincial government has so far been unable to resolve the EDO health’s transfer issue.

The health secretary had transferred Dr Haider and posted Dr Tahir Basheer as the new EDO around three weeks back; however, the former had got a stay from the service tribunal against his transfer.

The fresh case has been registered under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Punjab Corruption Act after the district government found Dr Haider guilty of receiving Rs75,000 bribe from the government contractor, Raja Muhammad Yaqoob, of Faisalabad whose firm would supply medicines to the Gujrat health department and demanding more money from Yaqoob for issuance of a cheque.

The previous two cases registered against Dr Haider were for storming into the EDO office by breaking its door besides hurling death threats to Dr Basheer after which the DCO Liaqat Ali Chatha had sent both the officials on forced leave of 15 days. District Officer (health) Dr Abid Ghauri has been holding the office of EDO for the last two weeks.

However, neither the police nor has the ACE so far arrested Dr Haider for investigation.

The chief secretary was directed by the service tribunal to resolve the matter of EDO Dr Haider within 45 days. The district government had earlier recommended to the Punjab secretary health for suspension of Dr Haider but no action has so far been taken in this regard.

An official of the district government told Dawn that two more inquiries against Dr Haider had been launched on allegations of misconduct in recruitments as well as not paying Rs1,000 per day rent for staying at the district council rest house for four months besides not getting the house rent paid from his salary while staying at another official residence at the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed hospital.

Meanwhile, the Allied Health Workers Association alleged that as many as 16 employees of local health department had been dismissed by Dr Haider in backdated orders to fix them for agitating against him.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2015