ISLAMABAD – Learning a lesson from the follies of his predecessor who had to face enormous embarrassment at the hands of his dear sons, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed all the ministers and public offices not to give any favour to his family members and officially report any telephone calls made to this effect from the PM Secretariat.The former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had to face untoward situation when the name of his son, Ali Musa Gilani, cam to surface allegedly for making a phone call to the then Director General Ministry of Health for issuance of out of turn ephedrine quota to some two pharmaceutical companies. Musa Gilani is still facing Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) investigations for his alleged involvement in ephedrine quota scam amounting to billion of rupees.In a letter written by Cabinet Division and duly signed by Joint Secretary to the Cabinet, Omar Hamid Khan on July 16, the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed all the ministries, divisions and other public sector organisations that his relatives or family members were not permitted to make telephone calls to any government department for any task.The letter addressed to all the secretaries, additional secretaries and in-charge of ministries as well as divisions, says that in case there is any such communication, the matter be reported immediately to Fida Muhammad, Joint Secretary (Admin/Coord), Prime Minister’s Secretariat at telephone numbers 9207043-9008466 & fax number 9208426) with the name and telephone number of the calling person, so that necessary action is taken against the phoney callers.The letter, sent as most immediate, further says that the above instructions may be brought to the notice of all concerned departments/ autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies/ corporations/organisations etc under your ministry/ division for strict compliance.The name of elder son of former PM Gilani, Abdul Qadir Gilani, also came in the lime light in Haj corruption scandal in 2011 for allegedly using his clout as Premier’s son to get appointed Rao Shakeel Ahmed as director general Haj in Saudi Arabia. According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s investigations, Rao Shakeel Ahmed is the main accused in the scam.

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