PESHAWAR: The health department has failed to act against the chief drug inspector of Peshawar even months after the director-general (health) found him to be involved in the issuance of over 600 fake drug licences in the district.

A report by the DG (health) sent to the health secretary four months ago said Peshawar had 2,500 registered drugstores but there existed no official record about them.

It claimed that Peshawar CDI Wilayat Shah supported the people dealing in substandard drugs and that he helped a medicine distributor get nationwide business deals.

The report said more than 600 drug licences issued in Peshawar were found to be fake on verification.

Sources said CDI Wilayat Shah had been working in Peshawar district for 20 years during which fake licences were issued to the people for opening medical stores and supplying and distributing drugs.

They said the drug inspector had survived many actions in the past due to his strong political connections.

The sources said the health department had over a dozen written statements of Peshawar drugstore owners about the payment of Rs80,000-Rs150,000 bribe for a fake licence.

They claimed that Wilayat Shah, a dual national, had gone to the UK three months ago to see family, which was settled there, and that he had taken leave from the top bosses of the department without putting his leave application through proper channel for approval.

The sources claimed the CDI’s wife was a former JUI-F’s MNA elected on a seat reserved for women.

They said last month, the National Accountability Bureau had written a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency that it had received a money laundering complaint against Wilayat Shah and others working at the Peshawar DHO office.

The sources said the complaint also carried details of how the CDI used two domiciles, one for education and another for job as drug inspector in 80s.

They said the NAB requested the FIA to take appropriate action on the complaint of money laundering to UK.

The sources claimed said Wilayat Shah issued fake licences through his nephew and that those licences were the main source of the supply of spurious drugs from Peshawar to other parts of the province.

They said the CDI had skipped many accountability attempts by the defunct Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.

The sources said the KPEC was about to arrest Wilayat Shah in 2014 but he survived arrest using strong political connections as the case was shifted to the NAB.

They said the government had ordered crackdown on illegal drugs in the city but it was difficult to yield results as the people, who issued fake licences to chemists, were authorised to monitor such activities.

When contacted, health secretary Dr Syed Farooq Jamil said no inquiry was under way against Wilayat Shah and that availing leave was his right.

“There are allegations (against Wilayat Shah) but no inquiry is in progress (into them),” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2019