ISLAMABAD; The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has presented Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), before the court in a case involving allegations of illegal appointments and misuse of authority.
Dr. Ali was brought to the courtroom of Judicial Magistrate Ahmad Shahzad Gondal at the district and sessions court in Islamabad.
During the proceedings, the FIA sought a seven-day physical remand to interrogate the accused and gather further evidence. However, the court granted a three-day physical remand, directing the FIA to complete initial investigations within this period.
The FIA prosecutor informed the court that Dr. Ghulam Ali was arrested for making 332 illegal appointments against only 164 sanctioned posts, thus violating recruitment rules and procedures.
The prosecutor added that the chairman, along with PARC’s Director Establishment Ikhlaq Malik—who has also been arrested—allegedly received bribes to facilitate these unlawful appointments.
It was revealed in court that a total of 19 officials, including senior officers and subordinate staff, have been implicated in this case. The FIA has already registered a formal case against them, and raids are underway to apprehend the remaining 17 nominated individuals who are still at large.
In his defense, Dr. Ghulam Ali argued that all vacancies were duly advertised and proper selection committees were constituted to oversee the recruitment process. However, Judge Ahmad Shahzad Gondal observed that the matter still required thorough investigation, emphasizing that facts would surface as the probe proceeds.
The case traces back to a referral by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which had flagged irregularities in PARC’s hiring practices and forwarded the matter to the FIA for an in-depth inquiry.
Following the arrest of the chairman and the director establishment, the FIA’s anti-corruption team has intensified efforts to uncover the full scale of the alleged scam, focusing on financial transactions and possible collusion among senior officials.
Dr. Ali and Ikhlaq Malik will remain in FIA custody for the next three days, after which they will be produced before the court again for an update on the investigation.
The FIA maintains that these arrests mark only the beginning, with more developments expected as evidence is collected and further suspects are rounded up.
