KARACHI, Sept 1: Adviser Health Faisal Malik paid a surprise visit to the health department in Sindh Secretariat and found that senior officials, including two additional secretaries, had not arrived for their respective duties till 10am on Wednesday.

Taking serious notice of their absence, he maintained that in a situation where senior officials were indifferent towards their professional obligations how could juniors be asked to strictly follow their respective working hours and liabilities.

The adviser reiterated his commitment to eliminate the culture of negligence towards duty, absenteeism and iniquitous use of one's authority in the provincial health department.

He said that such negligence would not be tolerated any more and each and every employee of the health department would be required to realize his or her duty without any failure.

The officials found absent from their duties included Additional Secretary (Admn) Wahid Bakhsh Mehar, Additional Secretary (Technical) Iqbal Daudpota, while five Section Officers namely Nisar Ahmed Sheikh, Abdul Jabbar, Salman Khaskheli, Hafiz Raza Sheikh, Hafiz Zarar Ahmed Sheikh and Nusratullah.

Besides Assistants Ghulam Mohiuddin, Mohammad Sharif, Abdul Wahab Talbani, Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, Shujat Ali Abro, Naved Ahmed and Qurban Ali Soomro were also marked among absentees.

Among junior clerks not found attending their respective duties were Firdous Sohail, Mohammad Ajmal, Mohammad Javed, Ahmed Beg while junior clerks Shafi Mohammad and Mohammad Shoaib, Stenographer Abdullah Junejo and Naib Qasid Jalees Ahmed were also absent from their respective duties without any prior intimation. -APP