A fact-finding inquiry initiated by the Prime Minister’s Office has allegedly uncovered administrative, procedural, and financial irregularities at the COMSATS Secretariat in Islamabad, according to an official inquiry report seen by ProPakistani.
The investigation, conducted under the Ministry of Science and Technology, examined complaints against Executive Director Nafees Zakaria submitted by former internal directors.
The report alleges that the COMSATS Secretariat did not provide several mandatory institutional records despite repeated requests from the inquiry committee, limiting its ability to fully assess certain aspects of the investigation.
According to the report, the Executive Director allegedly operated outside the COMSATS Charter and Statutes by failing to convene key statutory bodies responsible for institutional oversight. It alleges that the Consultative Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, and Management Committee were excluded from major decisions, while mandatory Board of Management meetings of COMSATS Internet Services were not held, weakening governance and oversight.
The inquiry also allegedly found that several research and development projects—including the Carol Technologies wind turbine project, the AGECO Electric Vehicle project, and the MASTECH Nanotechnology Laboratory—were initiated without feasibility studies, budget approvals, or authorization from the Coordinating Council.
According to the report, such projects fall under COMSATS’ designated Centers of Excellence rather than the Secretariat, making the initiatives allegedly inconsistent with the organization’s governing framework.
The report further alleges irregularities in the award of international and provincial training contracts. It claims that a training contract from the Government of Azerbaijan was subcontracted to a private company owned by the Executive Director’s son, while a Rs. 399 million ICT training contract for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s merged districts was allegedly subcontracted to a private institute without the required approvals. The inquiry also criticized the creation of new senior posts and promotions at the Islamabad headquarters, stating that the restructuring was contrary to directives issued by the Coordinating Council.
The committee stated that it could not complete its assessment of the financial impact because the Director of Finance allegedly did not provide the requested financial records despite repeated summons.
The report recommends that the federal government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, place the matter before the Consultative Committee and initiate comprehensive forensic, administrative, financial, and human resource audits. It also recommends amendments to the 2015 COMSATS Statutes to strengthen institutional oversight, reduce the concentration of authority in the Executive Director’s office, and ensure regular meetings of statutory bodies.
ProPakistani has reached out to the COMSATS Secretariat for its response to the inquiry report. A reply had not been received at the time of publication.
