After Nawaz, fake vaccine entries made under Kulsoom, Ishaq Dar's names

• Kulsoom's entry was made at Multan vaccination centre on October 5.
• Next vaccine date was scheduled for November 6.
• Kulsoom passed away in London back in September 2018.

LAHORE: After former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's bogus coronavirus vaccination entry, two more fake inoculation registries were made under his deceased wife Kulsoom Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar's name.

The fake vaccine entries were made at separate coronavirus vaccination centres in Multan, the health department said, with the first Sinovac jab being registered on October 5, and the second dose scheduled for November 6.

Begum Kulsoom had passed away at a clinic in London after battling cancer — and that was back in September 2018.

In a notification issued after the fake vaccine entry was made, the province's health department said Shahmila Rasool and Ashiq Hussain were the officials who had entered their names.

The health department asked relevant authorities to investigate the matter, the notification added.

On October 4, another fake entry in the name of former prime minister Nawaz was been made at a vaccination centre in Narowal, the city's deputy commissioner had said.

"The suspects had used Nawaz Sharif's name for the data entry [...] they had used the former prime minister's identity card to get the entry done," the deputy commissioner added.

The suspects, identified as Rauf and Saqib, have been arrested, the deputy commissioner said, adding that action would be taken in line with the law.

The first fake coronavirus vaccine entry made using the former prime minister's name was at the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) at the Government Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital on September 22.

As per the fake entry, Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London, got his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac at 4:03 pm Wednesday at the hospital.

Following Nawaz's fake entry at NIMS, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed and Minister for Health Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid had termed the matter a "conspiracy".

Rasheed had said the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) was not to blame, as it had issued vaccination certificates to as many as 7.5 million people.

Meanwhile, the Primary and Secondary Health Care Department Punjab has constituted a two-member committee to investigate the matter within the next 24 hours.

The committee has been tasked to determine the officials responsible for the fake entry and point out any other negligence that had caused the incident, the notification from the health care department said.