Man found alive 16 years after his reported death in Pakistan

By APD Writer Muhammad Sohail

**ISLAMABAD, Aug. 24 (APD) - ** A Pakistani man has surprised the government authorities and the masses as he has been found alive 16 years after his reported death in 2001.

According to an official from the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), the man namely Sheikh Akhtar Hussein is currently working as a director of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and is officer in charge of three departments, including that of director administration, human resources and logistics; director medical devices, and director quality assurance.

The official said on Thursday that his identity was revealed after one of his old acquainted persons Samiullah Khan Durrani, who owns a medicine company, visited him for some

official work and recognized him and later informed authorities about his reality.

Hussein had been working for a government department in 2001 when he was found involved in embezzlements along with four other colleagues.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), an anti-corruption body of Pakistan, registered two case cases against Hussein and four others over the embezzlement of Rs 52 million (0.5 million US dollars) and started an investigation into the matter.

Later, they were proven guilty and the NAB arrested his four partners, but by some means, he managed to prepare and sent his death certificate to the NAB court which later closed all cases against him because no case can be persuaded against a dead person as per the country’s law.

The complainant Durrani told the authorities that the other four suspects were sentenced to 40 years in prison and they served three years of their sentences and were released after the Supreme Court took mercy and reduced their sentences.

“I cannot understand how such a person, who has already been declared dead, can be given such important posts in an important department related to the care of human life,” Durrani said.

Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister for National Health Services, said she has taken notice of the matter and it will be investigated in accordance with the law and all the people involved in the issue will be punished.

Jahangir Shahid Gujjar, a senior lawyer, told APD that if the man is found guilty, he will be arrested and will face multiple criminal charges of forgery, cheating, and embezzlement, and he will also have to return all the salaries and perks he received from the government as he was declared dead before the NAB court and a dead man cannot be appointed to any post.

“The man took benefit of the flaws in the government system because the national identity record was not computerized at that time and people used to get handwritten identity cards,” said the lawyer.

Despite repeated attempts by this APD correspondent, Hussein refused to utter a single word on the issue.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)