ISLAMABAD: The KP chief minister was informed by its own agency- Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation - that among 41,000 out-of-school children enrolled in the targeted six districts of...

ISLAMABAD: The KP chief minister was informed by its own agency- Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation (ESEF)- that among 41,000 out-of-school children enrolled in the targeted six districts of the province till 2017, nearly 21,000 students are fake, whereas out of a total of 90 schools established in just one district for the same purpose 70 were found to be ghost.

Under Iqra Farogh-e-Taleem Voucher Scheme (IFTVS), the provincial government was funding millions of rupees to the “fake” students as well as the “ghost” schools from public kitty without conducting any audit. Since 2014 when the PTI launched this scheme toto carry out the audit of the financial year 2016-17 but the audit was suspended midway as Ferguson failed to get the go-ahead from the agency’s Board of Director. Zulfiqar was suspended by the same Board last month.

Adviser to Chief Minister KP and Chairman of ESEF Board of Directors Ziaullah Bangash told The News that the MD was suspended for failing to achieve the target he was given. He said the government wanted to address the issue of out of school children but the MD was not releasing funds under IFTVS schemes.

He complained that the MD was talking about corruption in the department and was even approaching other agencies including NAB. Bangash said that it was not the MD’s job. He added that Zulfiqar Ahmad was unilaterally taking