Ex-CEO DRAP arrested by FIA for holding fake PhD degree

ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Sheikh Akhtar Hussain was arrested by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday for holding fake PhD degree.

According to details, an FIR was registered by FIA Islamabad against Sheikh Akhtar for deceiving authorities through fake reports of his death to escape a fake degree case against him.

However, Afzal Niazi, Deputy Director FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, upon conclusion of his investigations arrested the accused.

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A joint enquiry team was constituted by Rana Jabar, additional director general North FIA, to conduct enquiries on more than 100 different applications against various officials of the DRAP.

Afzal Niazi constituted 12 teams to arrest Hussain and several raids were conducted on the house, offices, and factories to arrest Hussain but all efforts failed in the past.

FIA had placed his name on the Stop List to leave Pakistan and also moved an application in court to block his CNIC for his unconditional surrender.

Hussain was accused of Mega corruption and accumulation of wealth of more than Rs 100 billion along with fake death claims to save himself from arrest in two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases.

Other charges included abuse of official powers, fake degree, getting PhD allowance on fake degree since 2001 from taxpayers’ money, drawing salaries after the termination from government service since March 17, 2021.

He was drawing Leave Encashment Allowance of LPR [Leave Preparatory to Retirement], of more than Rs 2.5 million after termination from government service.

He was also accused of increasing the prices of medicines, promoting officials without Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), and management courses and embezzlement in the official record of the DRAP. – INP