Abbottabad: Two government officials have been accused of illegally withdrawing funds from the bank account of the Institute of Teaching of Quran, which has been operating in the city since 1940.
The matter has been reported to the Governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), who has called for a thorough investigation. According to reports, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Finance) Maleeha Sahar and District Social Welfare Officer Saira Mushtaq allegedly influenced local bank officials to sign. He is accused of illegally withdrawing Rs 570,000 from the orphanage’s bank account.
Bank manager Zaheer confirmed the incident and said that the local administration pressured the bank to facilitate the transaction. He admitted that he had taken verbal approval from his seniors before processing the payment.
When contacted, Social Welfare Officer Saira Mushtaq confirmed that the checks were signed on the instructions of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, who was working as the administrator of the orphanage.
The management of the Institute of Teaching of the Qur’an has demanded an immediate inquiry into the actions of the officials involved and strict disciplinary action if found guilty.
The incident was formally reported to the Governor State Bank and the Banking Ombudsman by Malik Saeed Akhtar Advocate, legal advisor of the orphanage. In the complaint, the lawyer termed the act as a clear abuse of power. Meanwhile, the General Body of the Institute of Teaching of the Qur’an demanded an immediate investigation and accountability into the alleged mismanagement.