ISLAMABAD(National Times)- An inquiry committee formed on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari has declared the top official of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech) guilty of multiple charges of misconduct.
According to the inquiry report seen by Dawn, Comstech Coordinator General Dr Iqbal Choudhry was accused of financial irregularities, violation of executive orders and non-compliance with court directives.
However, the official in question has questioned the legality of proceedings against him, calling it a “one-sided inquiry”.
According to the inquiry report, Dr Choudhry was initially appointed by then-president Arif Alvi in 2020 during the PTI’s tenure, and was subsequently reappointed by President Zardari for another four-year term in October 2024.
Under Articles 12(2), read with 16(3) of the Comstech statute, the President of Pakistan is the appointing authority for the post of the body’s coordinator general.
Comstech was created in January 1981 at the Third Islamic Summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan, it aims to promote science, technology and research cooperation among OIC member states.
The inquiry committee was headed by Dr Asim Hussain, the chancellor of Ziauddin University.
Its members included Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) Chairman Dr Syed Hussain Abidi, Ministry of Science and Technology Secretary Shahid Iqbal Baloch and its Chief Finance and Accounts Officer Muhammad Saeedullah Yousafzai.
Inquiry findings
The committee held that Dr Choudhry had failed to implement instructions issued by the president, terming the alleged failure “misconduct”. It also accused him of violating court orders, and failing to reply to complaints.
The inquiry found that meetings of the Comstech Executive Committee had not been convened for the last four years, and that most decisions were taken by Dr Choudhry alone, terming this “maladministration”.
It further maintained that expenditures had been incurred for several years without budgetary approval, which the committee declared “unauthorised and illegal”.
The report recommended strict disciplinary action over the alleged misuse of Comstech funds, including expenditure allegedly made for personal benefit.
The committee alleged that Dr Choudhry undertook more than 70 foreign trips over the last six years without prior approval from the president in his capacity as Comstech chairman. Some of the visits, it said, were to countries not associated with Comstech, while funds were also allegedly used to cover the travel and accommodation expenses of female associates.
The report also pointed out that Dr Choudhry simultaneously held the posts of Comstech coordinator general and director of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) from April 8, 2020, to Nov 12, 2024, a period of around four and a half years, despite directives from the ministry to relinquish the additional charge.
The inquiry also cited complaints regarding forced resignations and dismissals of employees, a lack of transparent procedures in disciplinary proceedings, and allegations of nepotism and favouritism in recruitment.
It noted that the World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy, had also issued a reprimand letter to Dr Choudhry.
The inquiry committee has recommended that the matter be referred to anti-corruption institutions for further investigation and appropriate action against Dr Choudhry on multiple counts of alleged misconduct.
The recommendations in the inquiry report have been submitted to the competent authority for further proceedings.
Official’s response
When approached for comment, Dr Choudhry told Dawn he was unaware of any such report, but raised questions over the legality of the inquiry, noting that procedural requirements had not been fulfilled.
He claimed that neither any complaint nor a show cause notice was shared with him, and said that there were “serious procedural flaws in this one-sided inquiry”.
“You cannot do it on the basis of a fake complaint,” he remarked.
He maintained that the president, in his capacity as Comstech chairman, draws his powers from OIC procedures, and could not as as head of the state take a unilateral action against an OIC body which enjoys diplomatic immunity.
Alleging that the Presidency was being misused, he said any inquiry or report prepared without proof or documentation has no legal or ethical standing, and is liable to be challenged in court.
