PESHAWAR: The suspension of Dr Shaukat Ali, who remained director-general health services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for more than 15 months amidst allegations of irregularities, has surprised many in the department.

He was suspended on the directives of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday last.

Sources said that Dr Shaukat was suspended on charges of receiving bribe from a low-grade officer for transfer but the real reason behind his abrupt de-seating was his refusal to appoint son of an MPA of the ruling party as director TB control programme because he was junior to fill the position.

They said that he could have been shown the door long ago because he faced three inquiries by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) involving a sum of Rs8 billion but he managed to retain his position owing to his connection at top level.

Dr Shaukat denies allegation of corruption and vows to face inquiry

They said that NAB had asked health department to probe the allegations of corruption and irregularities against him in purchase of medicines and acquiring land for Timergara Medical College as its project director.

However, officials said that the inquiries conducted by the same officers in the department, who were junior to him and the outcome of the probe was never made public.

They said that the MPA played vital role in issuance of his suspension order from chief minister’s office on the day when the director-general of health was busy in the wedding ceremony of his daughter.

“He could have been suspended two days ago or a week later but the MPA wanted to cause him more embarrassment by suspending him on the wedding day of his daughter,” said officials.

Sources in secretariat said that corruption cases against the director-general of health were too strong and evidence-based but he survived.

However, challenging the MPA cost him his priced job, they added.

They said that for the first time, the notification also mentioned the name of his father, which was uncommon in normal circumstances as the government’s orders only carried names of officials, their designations and grade in correspondence.

A BPS-20 officer, Dr Shaukat Ali, was appointed director-general health services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January 2023 during the government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government.

Sources said that his suspension order was issued by the office of health secretary instead of chief secretary. They added that any order regarding officers working in grade above BPS-18 was issued by the office of chief secretary.

The director-general of health was among the few officers, who held more than one positions simultaneously.

He remained close to former chief minister Mahmood Khan. Last year, the caretaker government was about to replace him but he managed to stick to the second top position in health department despite opposition by the then adviser to chief minister on health.

The first caretaker health adviser, Prof Abid Jamil, was unhappy with his alleged corruption in purchase of drugs but his request to remove him fell on deafears and as result the former called it a day. The other health adviser had no issue with director-general of health.

Dr Shaukat Ali health faced huge campaign on social media regarding his alleged irregularities but he remained very active in meetings in departments and elsewhere. He was good at obliging the high-ups, sources said.

Despite his suspension as director-general of health, he is still regional director health of Malakand, project director of Timergara Medical College and head of a foreign-funded project.

Dr Shaukat Ali in a brief chat with this correspondent denied all allegations and vowed to face inquiry.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2024