PSQCA Official Sacked: Years of Stalled Inquiries End in Dismissal Over Rs3.1bn Audit Case

The PSQCA dismissal of a former finance official has finally arrived: after years of stalled inquiries tied to a Rs3.145 billion audit observation, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has dismissed Syed Ali Muhammad Bukhari, former Deputy Director Finance at the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), ending the departmental case against him.

The order, issued on November 3, 2026, imposed the major penalty of dismissal from service under the Civil Servants Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 2020, read with the PSQCA Service Regulations, 2015. Bukhari, who had been serving as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) before the action, had earlier held the post of Deputy Director Finance (BS-18).

He was among the officials who faced allegations of financial and administrative irregularities that led to several departmental inquiries, audit scrutiny and the involvement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Sources say accountability proceedings at NAB and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are also reportedly moving forward as his retirement approaches. The status and scope of those proceedings could not be independently established.

PSQCA Dismissal: How the Case Moved

The ministry appointed Saeed Ullah Khan Yousafzai, Chief Finance and Accounts Officer (BS-20), as inquiry officer. According to the order, Bukhari did not file a reply within the stipulated period. In a letter dated August 7, 2026, he told the inquiry officer that restraining orders had been passed in his writ petition. The ministry maintained that the disciplinary proceedings and the fact-finding inquiry were not part of the subject matter of that petition.

After reviewing the record and the inquiry report, the Secretary of the ministry, acting as competent authority, ordered dismissal, directed that all his connections with PSQCA be severed from the date of the order and that his name be removed from the authority’s strength. He retains the right to appeal.

The Allegations Behind the Case

The action follows a series of inquiries started by the ministry since 2022 over alleged financial mismanagement, suspicious banking transactions, unauthorised investments and questionable recruitment at PSQCA. These remain allegations reported in the past; the November 3 order does not list the individual charges that were proved or say whether every earlier allegation formed part of the proceedings.

• Audit observations: The Auditor General of Pakistan had flagged investments of Rs3.145 billion in term deposit receipts (TDRs) with the National Bank of Pakistan, allegedly made without the required Finance Division approvals.
• Suspicious transactions: The allegations included about 66 suspicious banking transactions and some missing TDRs. Complaints by PSQCA employees spoke of more than 55 cash transactions through various NBP accounts between 2014 and 2017, and possible embezzlement of over Rs1 billion.
• Possible loss: The audit also identified a potential loss of Rs15.839 million due to delays in reinvesting Rs2.741 billion in bank deposits.
• Appointments: A committee was also asked to look into claims that family members were helped to get jobs at PSQCA and to check their educational qualifications.

Why Years of Inquiries Raised Questions

In January 2022 the ministry formed a two-member committee to look into the matter. In June 2022 NAB Rawalpindi sought information and records from the ministry after complaints from PSQCA employees, who asked for a detailed inquiry and forensic audit of the authority’s accounts. The ministry then restarted its departmental inquiry and set up another two-member committee to examine receipts, investments and expenditure from 2010-11 to 2021-22.

Reports said an earlier committee had looked at the same matter without a meaningful result, and the later inquiry did not cover the more than 55 transactions identified in earlier complaints. The repeated committees and the long timeline raised questions about whether the ministry could bring the case to a conclusion.

How the PSQCA Dismissal Affects Public Trust

PSQCA sets and checks standards for products sold in Pakistan, so the way it handles public money matters to manufacturers and consumers alike. A completed disciplinary case shows that departmental action can reach a conclusion, but it does not by itself answer the questions about the audit findings and recovery of any losses.

What Happens Next

• Bukhari can appeal against the dismissal.
• NAB and the FIA are reportedly pursuing the matter; sources say they may also examine a possible assets-beyond-means angle and recoveries before his retirement. This has not been confirmed.
• The ministry has yet to publish which of the older allegations were covered by the proved charges.

Information about the authority is available on the PSQCA website.

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