LAHORE : June 24, 2024: In a letter addressed to prime minister , Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Young Doctors’ Association (PYDA) has highlighted a long rather unending tale of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Asim Rauf’s corruption. The letter dated June 22, 2024 demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the case. A copy of PYDA letter is made available to NEWSMAN. It said Mr. Asim Rauf joined Federal Ministry of Health in 2002 and left for PhD to USA on ex-Pakistan leave in 2004. The leave was continued to extend for five years and Mr. Asim Rauf joined Ministry of Health in year 2009. On return from USA Mr. Asim Rauf never submitted his required PhD or any University Degree of USA in the Ministry of Health (it is settled law that if degree is not submitted then entire period is not counted as experience and if some period of leave was paid, the salary must be returned, which was not). In actual, Mr. Asim Rauf completed his period of Canadian Citizenship. By using his evil genius brain, he always used to travel in and out of Pakistan on Pakistani Passport and entered Canada on Canadian Passport. Moreover Mr. Asim Rauf never sent any foreign remittance to Pakistan. It is worth mentioning here that Mr. Asim Rauf never submitted the source of earning for his living in Canada / USA, where he spent five long years.
PYDA added on rejoining of Ministry of Health Mr. Asim Rauf was appointed Federal Drug Inspector Sundar Industrial Estate Lahore in 2009. Mr. Asim purchased plot at Sundar Industrial Estate in year 2010 and constructed pharma factory costing Rs 60 crors with name and style of M/s Zeta Pharmaceuticals, the owner of M/s Zeta Pharma was Mr. Amer Wali Rauf (real Brother of Mr. Asim Rauf) in partnership concern. Mr. Asim Rauf conducted all the inspections of M/s Zeta Pharmaceuticals himself since 2010 till his posting to Islamabad as acting Director QA. Mr. Asim played very evil genius game and replaced the name of his brother Mr. Amer Wali Rauf with the name of his Father-in-Law Mr. Atiq Qamar. At the same time Mr. Asim Rauf built another factory in Egypt with Rs 700 million with the name and style of M/s Zeta Pharma in year 2010. This Rs 700 million were not only corruption money but also money laundering.
Mr. Asim Rauf made a bemani company named GS-1 Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, got it incorporated in SECP Lahore and made its office in Karachi; other benami partners of Mr. Asim Rauf are Sh. Akhtar Hussain, Mr. Obaidullah, Mr. Akhtar Abbas, Mr. Bilal bin Akhbar, Mr. Sayyad Hussain, Mr. Fakhruddin Amir, Mr. Aamar Latif and Mr. Ajmal Sohail. M/s GS-1 Pakistan is supplying software to every Pharmaceutical Company, Medical Devices and HOTC etc. to print Bar-Code on packing. The contract was awarded to GS-1 Pakistan without any “Ad”, without any “competitive bidding”, without following any “PPRA Rules”, without following any “Law of Land”. GS-1 Pakistan is a Rs.15 billion annually corruption. Mr. Asim Rauf gave contract of digitalization of documents of DRAP funded by US-aid to his brother.
Mr. Asim Rauf is also benami partner in a number of businesses with Sh. Akhtar Hussain in and outside Pakistan. Mr. Asim Rauf Joined Ministry of Health in 2002. He Remained on Study leave ex-Pakistan from 2004-09. DRAP CEO never brought any University Degree; whereby, he complete his time of Canadian Citizenship from 2004-09. He resigned Civil Service 18 June 2015
Mr. Asim Rauf was given anti-date promotion to BS19 since 2009; herein, Mr. Asim’s total service in Ministry of Health was two years and at the time of anti-date promotion he had already resigned Civil Service in 2015 and joined DRAP service and Mr. Asim never qualified MCMC (management course), Mr. Asim Rauf was given anti-date promotion without any DPC
February 2018. Mr. Asim Rauf was given acting charge of Director QA
2018. Sh. Akhtar Hussain made Mr. Asim Rauf as cover candidate for the very lucrative position (CEO DRAP) of worth Rs 25 billion corruption annual 2018. Mr. Asim Rauf was given acting charge of CEO DRAP, when Sh. Akhtar Hussain was suspended
07 March 2019.Mr. Asim Rauf already resigned from Civil Service on 18 June 2015, but given retirement from Civil Service since 18 June 2015 on 11 February 2022
Mr. Asim Rauf was given second retirement from DRAP service 04 February 2022. Mr. Asim Rauf was given offer letter of regular charge of CEO DRAP 03 February 2022. Mr. Asim Rauf built two factories (one in Lahore and other in Egypt)
2010. Mr. Asim Rauf allowed Pharma Companies to increase Medicine Prices without any approval and no one was allowed to check the increase in Medicine Prices Since 07 March 2019
Mr. Asim Rauf managed to remove mandatory Government Control under section 12 of Drugs Act on Medicine Prices, now poor patients are left on the mercy of Pharma Companies 6 February 2024.Mr. Asim Rauf is doing all appointments, which are prerogative of Federal Government (Federal Cabinet) himself e.g. appointments of members of Registration Board, all Directors in DRAP, Federal Drug Inspectors, Members of Policy Board, Members of Licensing Board, Chairman Registration Board, Chairman Licensing Board, Government Prosecutors etc., hence doing abuse of official powers for wrongful gains Since 07 March 2019
It is pertinent to mention here that Mr. Asim Rauf is exercising all the powers of Federal Government (Federal Cabinet) since 07 March 2019 in grave violation of law conferred upon by DRAP Act 2012, Drugs Act 1976 and Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Mr. Asim Rauf is getting salary Rs 1350000 per month along with other perks, which is not approved from Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Asim Rauf gave Rs 500 million bribe to Minister and Mrs. Farrah Gogi to become acting CEO DRAP in March 2019 and once again gave Rs 1 billion bribe to the than Minister and Mrs. Farrah Gogi to become regular CEO DRAP in February 2022; wherefrom, under section 5 of DRAP Act 2012, one can be appointed CEO for three years and acting CEO can be appointed for three months. If Mr. Asim Rauf were complete his tenure, he would be CEO for six years, which is grave violation of section 5 of DRAP Act 2012.
On the order of Prime Minister, an inquiry was held to determine, whether the promotion of Mr. Asim Rauf, Mr. Obaidullah and Mr. Fakhrudin Amer from BS-18 to BS-19 was lawful or otherwise. The inquiry concluded the promotions were illegal and inquiry recommended that all above officers must be reverted to BS-18 forthwith.
Under the above circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that Mr. Asim Rauf must be terminated from Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan forthwith; a Criminal Probe must be started (how Mr. Asim Rauf is doing a number of benami businesses and how he illegally managed his promotions); Mr. Asim Rauf, Mr. Obaidullah and Mr. Fakhrudin Amer must be reverted to BS-18 forthwith; contract of GS1 Pakistan must be immediately terminated along with criminal probe; money sent to Egypt, UK and Turkey through money laundering must be brought back to Pakistan forthwith and probe must be started under AML Act; Pharma factories must be confiscated by the process of law and criminal probe must be started
