Of the 63 rare animals sold off at an auction by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc), 10 were to be gifted to the Sri Lankan government by President Asif Zardari as a goodwill gesture. This was revealed as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered a high-level inquiry against top officials of Parc for being part of the scam.
Meanwhile, a group of parliamentarian raised hue and cry in the National Assembly on Tuesday against the auction of animals by Parc officials to alleged frontmen of a recently relieved minister from central Punjab. The MNAs demanded the government to bring all those animals back to Parc, where they were groomed for research and breeding purposes. The parliamentarians also demanded that inquiry report be tabled in the lower house and those responsible for the auction punished.
Sources have now confirmed that ten animals to be gifted to Sri Lanka were sold knowingly by Parc officials. Rare species of bulls were also sold by the officials for a pittance. PM Gilani is said to have directed the newly appointed minister for agriculture to launch investigation into the fraud after reports that the sale of rare animals had affected Parc’s breeding programme. The Express Tribune had revealed on February 27 that the PARC had sold out 63 animals of used for research and breeding purposes without the knowledge of the member animal science division Dr NA Naqvi who had written a letter to chairman Parc Dr Afzal.
She had strongly protested the sale of these animals without her consent and knowledge. Member Finance PARC Abdul Khaliq too questioned the auction in the absence of any member from his department and termed the deal “illegal” and “non-transparent”.