Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday rejected allegations of corruption linked to a Rs10.5 billion vaccine project for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he said the government had not spent any money on the initiative. He added that Rs183.055 million was currently held in an account of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
Kamal also cited an inquiry report that identified procedural irregularities in the procurement process. Among the lapses, the report said, Border Health Services (BHS) had not kept the health ministry informed before launching the project. He blamed social media for fuelling the controversy and insisted there was no Rs10.5 billion corruption scandal.
Inquiry finds BHS bypassed the health ministry
Kamal said a committee set up by the prime minister to examine the matter had completed its report, which was presented to the media on Tuesday. According to its findings, BHS began the vaccine procurement without informing the federal health ministry or the minister. He alleged that BHS officials had left the required vaccine quantity unclear and disregarded a committee formed by the health ministry.
Also read: Vaccine procurement inquiry report to be made public
Instead, the department set up its own committee about a month later and went ahead with the process, the minister said. He presented these points as the committee’s conclusions, while the allegations against BHS officials remained his account of the findings.
Public-private arrangement and NADRA’s role in payments
The minister said the procurement was carried out under a public-private partnership rather than under Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. He said the inquiry committee had endorsed NADRA’s involvement to ensure transparency and verify financial transactions. Under the arrangement, a private company supplied vaccines at its own expense, while fees paid by people receiving the jabs were deposited into NADRA’s account.
Kamal said the government was also expected to receive a share from the project. He argued that the Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) rules should have governed the project, and that officials had wrongly invoked PPRA regulations.
Questions over approvals and opposition demands
The inquiry report held the procurement committee responsible for failing to halt the process, Kamal said. He added that the new BHS chief had forwarded the case for post-facto approval instead of stopping the project. The report also identified a director who, in the minister’s words, had played an active role in the matter.
The controversy had been driven by claims on social media and by opposition figures, who said BHS had awarded a contract worth Rs10.5 billion for meningitis and influenza vaccines for pilgrims, involving alleged corruption. Pakistan Peoples Party leader Qadir Khan Mandokhail demanded Kamal’s resignation over the alleged irregularities. In a post on X on November 4, Mandokhail alleged that billions of rupees had been embezzled at BHS and criticised the federal government for staying silent. He also claimed that arrests of government officials and coordinators by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confirmed criminal wrongdoing.
Separately, Kamal said he would not abandon his support for creating new provinces. He said he would keep pushing what he considered legitimate demands on provincial restructuring and work to strengthen the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
