*KARACHI: *The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday identified amajor irregularities in the Prime Minister Laptop Scheme (PMLS) run underthe supervision of Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Reports suggested that a Pakistani computing company violated its contractwith the HEC by procuring locally manufactured laptops against thespecifications agreed in the tender.
As per the agreement, the company was required to provide imported laptopsfor the second phase of the scheme.
The HEC purchased 200,000 laptops at a stated cost of $90 million, however,the private company opted to evade import duties by providing locallymanufactured laptops.
Taking note of its findings, the anti-graft watchdog is set to launch aninquiry into the case by initiating a reference against those involved.
According to the HEC, the laptops dispensed under phase 2 followed allrules and were in compliance with the tender.
HEC Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed said that the scandal is purely propaganda tocreate a controversy around him to oust him from his post.
The inquiry is titled as a ‘non-duty paid 200,000 laptops’ by NAB, with afull-fledged investigation to be launched against the education commissionafter approval from authorities.