Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry has officially charge-sheeted Dr. Hafizullah Khan, former District Health Officer (DHO) of North Waziristan, accusing him of running a fraudulent polio campaign, restoring terminated employees, and making illegal appointments. Dr. Hafizullah has been directed to submit a written defense within two weeks.
Dr. Hafizullah, currently serving as a medical officer in Mohmand, was found negligent in managing polio immunization activities during his tenure as DHO, contributing to the emergence of two polio cases in North Waziristan in April 2022. He failed to implement evening review meetings’ decisions effectively and ensure staff participation in supplementary immunisation activities (SAIs).
The charge sheet also accuses Dr. Hafizullah of disbursing salaries to 296 employees who had been terminated after an inquiry revealed illegal appointments. Some of these employees were abroad, yet continued receiving salaries, causing a loss of Rs2.5 million to the national exchequer. He also allegedly concealed these facts from the Director-General Health Services (DGHS) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and appointed nine individuals on the deceased’s son quota without proper authorization.
A formal inquiry committee, led by two BPS-19 officers, Shahid Khan and Mohammad Shoaib, has been formed to investigate the allegations. Separately, another inquiry committee, headed by Faiz Alam, with Dr. Fazl Maula, DHO of Kohat, will investigate the matter of fake appointments.
The inquiry was initiated after complaints from the World Health Organisation and the local deputy commissioner, who raised concerns about fake vaccination campaigns and the DHO’s absence from critical polio-related meetings. Chief Secretary Chaudhry has emphasized zero tolerance for laxity in the polio eradication effort, instructing district officials to actively participate in polio immunization efforts.
The DHO has been warned that failure to respond within the stipulated time will result in ex-parte action.
