ISLAMABAD: How did the controversial head of a key government department manage to bend rules, forge her age, and preside over a spree of illegal appointments, all while drawing benefits from the national exchequer and walking away unscathed with full retirement perks?
This is the troubling question now surrounding Ms. Fozia Begum, former Director General of the National Metrology Institute of Pakistan (NMIP), an attached department of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
According to documents, Ms. Begum allegedly manipulated her date of birth by presenting two different matriculation certificates issued by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar, a move that reportedly extended her service by three years, allowing her rapid promotions and significant financial benefits (Ref: NPSL/Pen/130/2023/2024, dated 17/01/2023).
Certificate Version 1 (Earlier Copy):
- Name: Fozia Begum
- Father’s Name: Gohar Rehman
- Examination: 1978 (Annual)
- Roll No: 20129
- Institution: Govt. Comprehensive Girls High School, Peshawar
- Marks: 645/850
- Grade: A (Excellent)
- Date of Birth: 05 February 1961
Certificate Version 2 (Revised Copy):
- Name: Fozia Begum
- Father’s Name: Gohar Rehman
- Examination: 1978 (Annual)
- Roll No: 20129
- Institution: Govt. Comprehensive Girls High School, Peshawar
- Marks: 645/850
- Grade: A (Excellent)
- Date of Birth: 05 February 1964
The three-year discrepancy between the two certificates is not a clerical error but, according to whistleblowers, a calculated forgery. The 1964 date of birth would have made her underage and ineligible to sit for matriculation at that time, while inconsistent roll and booklet numbers raise further doubts about the authenticity of both documents.
But the certificate manipulation, for which an inquiry was initiated by MoST (Vide MoST O.M. 3(10)/2018-NPSL, dated 02-06-2022), was only the beginning. During her tenure, Ms. Begum allegedly misused her authority to facilitate illegal appointments, irregular promotions, and blatant nepotism within NMIP.
An internal inquiry (Vide MoST O.M. 3(10)/2018-NPSL, dated 15-09-2022), led by former Senior Joint Secretary Mr. Hassan Ali Khan Laghari, revealed that against 42 sanctioned posts, the department illegally recruited 66 employees, in violation of government rules.
One glaring example was that of Saad Hassan, who was originally recommended for a Lab Attendant (BS-1) position but was later elevated to UDC (BS-11) through forged documents and backdoor maneuvering, bypassing all mandatory training requirements.
The inquiry committee’s report, submitted on 26 September 2022, called for criminal proceedings through the FIA against Ms. Begum and several accomplices, including Mr. Rashid Mehmood Chaudhry and Mr. Naeem Ilahi, charging them with forgery, fabrication, destruction of evidence, and causing unlawful losses to the state. It further recommended that all illegal appointments be declared null and void, the employees dismissed during probation, and the unlawfully paid salaries and benefits recovered.
Instead of acting on these recommendations, officials in MoST reportedly shelved the report, and insiders allege that further irregular recruitments were made under Ms. Begum’s supervision until her retirement on 5 February 2024.
Documents show that a similar unauthorized recruitment process (Vide MoST O.M. 3(1)/2002-NPSL, dated 11/03/2023) was repeated in 2023, where 28 candidates were inducted against only 18 advertised posts.
Moreover, beneficiaries such as Rashid Mehmood Chaudhry and others allegedly received illegal promotions from BPS-17 to BPS-18 on 23/02/2023 (vide Letter No. NMIP/Pro-4(3)/2022), and further to BPS-19 on 01/09/2023 (vide Letter No. NMIP/Misc.4/1/2022) all within seven months, indicating clear exploitation of the system under Ms. Begum’s watch.
What has outraged observers further is that Ms. Begum retired with full pension and benefits, before any inquiry could conclude. To many, this represents a textbook case of how influential bureaucrats manipulate official records, exploit systemic loopholes, and inflict financial losses running into hundreds of millions, only to exit the system with complete impunity.
Experts warn that unless this case is reopened and investigated transparently, it will not only undermine public trust in Pakistan’s verification and recruitment systems but also embolden others in the bureaucracy to engage in forgery and corruption without fear of consequence.
Also read: https://www.dawn.com/news/1743867
