Vaccinator arrested for fake entry of Ishaq Dar

MULTAN: A vaccinator who made a fake entry of former finance minister Ishaq Dar getting COVID-19 vaccine has been arrested and handed over to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The district administration arrested Aashiq Hussai, the dispenser at the health facility, after it emerged that he made a fake entry in the name Ishaq Dar who is currently in London.

The vaccinator has been suspended and an inquiry has been launched against him. Multan district administration said criminal negligence of Aashiq Hussain will be investigated and that strict monitoring of COVID-19 vaccination entry system is being held.

In a bizarre incident, former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who has been staying in London for years, was administered the COVID-19 vaccine in Multan, according to a fake entry in the vaccination portal.

After fake vaccine entry under Nawaz Sharif’s name entries of vaccination of late Begum Kulsoom Nawaz have also surfaced. The entry of two doses of Sinovac vaccine administered to Late Kulsoom Nawaz was available in the vaccination portal registered on Tuesday, October 05.

The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has written a letter to the FIA to take action over fake entries of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and Ishaq Dar.  It informed the agency that the fake entry for the administration of a PakVac vaccine dose was made under the name of Kulsoom Nawaz from Gymnasium Mailsi, which serves as a vaccination centre in Vehari, on October 5.

Another fake entry, for the first dose of the Cansino vaccine, was made under Dar’s name the same day from the vaccination centre at the office of the Defence Housing Authority’s chief executive officer in Multan, the letter stated.

“It is hereby requested to kindly investigate and take necessary action against the fake entry on the name of Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Ishaq Dar in the National Immunisation Management System,” it added.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had received a COVID-19 vaccine jab in Pakistan despite being in London. This was the third fake entry in his name, exposing the loopholes in the existing system as the Punjab health department failed to provide an explanation.