QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Balochistan has formally initiated a high-stakes investigation into allegations of corruption involving billions of rupees within the provincial Health Department, focusing on the purchase of machinery and medical equipment during the fiscal year 2024-25.
The anti-corruption watchdog has taken a decisive first step by issuing official directives to the Director General of General Health Services, Balochistan. NAB has demanded comprehensive records of all machinery procured in the specified period from several major healthcare institutions across the province.
According to official documents, the inquiry specifically targets equipment purchases made at the Trauma Centre, Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Bolan Medical Complex, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital, and Bacha Khan Hospital Nawa Kali. The bureau has sought detailed information, formatted in a specific annexure, on high-value items including incinerators, angiography machines, mammography machines, and other medical apparatus.
The Health Department authorities have been given a deadline until December 19, 2025, to submit the complete records. The information is being requisitioned under the potent Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, which grants NAB extensive powers to collect evidence during an inquiry.
The objective of the probe, as stated in the communication, is multifaceted. The NAB investigation team will scrutinize the precise roles of concerned officers and officials involved in the procurement processes. A primary focus will be assessing the transparency of the purchases and uncovering any potential financial irregularities that may have caused massive losses to the national exchequer.
This investigation signals a major crackdown on alleged graft within a critical public service department and underscores NAB’s focus on large-scale procurement scandals in Balochistan.
Meanwhile the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Riffat Mukhtar, declared on Friday that a strict and effective crackdown against organized criminal networks involved in human trafficking and illegal hawala/hundi operations will continue unabated, with those damaging the national economy through crimes like electricity theft to be brought to justice.
The DG made these remarks during his visit to the FIA Zonal Office in Balochistan, where he reviewed administrative and investigative matters. Director of the Balochistan Zone, Bahram Khan, provided a detailed briefing on the zone’s performance and ongoing operations.
