National Industrial Parks Board fires CEO Mr. Mudassar Iqbal amid allegations of corruption

Board of Directors at the National Industrial Parks today terminated services of Mr. Mudassar Iqbal – Chief Executive – with immediate effect after an investigation against him was initiated in March, 2018.

In a notice served by the Board of Directors Chairman Mr. Mohammad Afzal to Mr. Iqbal, he writes that “in pursuance of the recommendations of Board of Directors of National Industrial Parks (NIP) & thereof, the decision of the Ministry of Industries and Production, communicated through letter dated 06th June 2018, your services as Chief Executive Officer of NIP are hereby terminated with immediate effect.”

Mr. Iqbal was informed that he will be paid one month salary and asked to settle his dues with the HR, Admin and Accounts departments.

Ministry of Industries and Production (MIP) Secretary, Mian Asad Haya-ud-Din had earlier informed the media that an investigation against Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Industrial Parks (NIP) is underway in response to a letter written by the board.

The allegation levelled against the outgoing CEO, Mudassir Iqbal included misuse of his authority to appoint his friends and illegal allotment of industrial plots in NIP.

He was being investigated for selling NIP land to one of his close aides. Apart from that, Secretary NIP had also informed media that Mr. Iqbal had also used his position to get Jam Shahbaz appointed at the Thai Glass factory currently in the works to be setup at NIP Special Economic Zone.

His appointment in 2016 at the company had also been questioned by the experts who opinionated the move as illegal.

Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of National Industrial Parks & Management Company (NIP) in violation of rules. The NIP had been established as a special initiative of the Ministry of Industries & Production and is working as a subsidiary of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC).

The ministry appointed Mudassar Iqbal, a BPS-19 officer of Engineering Development Board (EDB), as CEO of NIP for three years; however, according to some experts, this appointment is illegal.

According to rules, if a government servant is appointed at another post, he or she is required to resign from his or her existing post but the incumbent CEO NIP has assumed the charge and was simultaneously holding /retaining the post of GM EDB.