Ex-EPI head Saqlain Gilani sacked over corruption charges

ISLAMABAD: Former head of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Saqlain Gilani has been sacked on Saturday with regard to corruption charges, ARY News reported.

Sources said termination letter of the former senior officer of the Ministry of National Health had been issued.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested the 19-grade officer during a raid at his house on December 19.

“The NAB had recovered 18.2 million rupees from Dr Saqlain Gilani’s house,” said the sources.

Sources said Saqlain Gilani had taken the money from a drug manufacturing company as bribe.

However, Gilani’s lawyer had said his client had sold his personal property on December 1. “He received Rs 1.5 million as an advance amount from buyer before handing over the property.”

The counsel of NAB had said the accused was affiliated with an influential political family and it was a case of white collar crime.

The NAB officials had claimed that the bank account history of the accused showed he didn’t have this huge transaction in the past.

The sources said the suspect was appointed during the Pakistan Peoples Party government in violation of the rules and regulations.

On Feb 4, Saqlain Gilani was arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after his bail application was rejected in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in contract for EPI campaign.

Gilani, until before his arrest, he had secured interim bail in the case.