Ehtesab Commission arrests K-P DG minerals

Mir Zaman's arrest comes after PTI minister Ziaullah Afridi revealed his involvement during investigation

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission on Monday Director General Mines and Minerals Mir Zaman as a co-accused with Ziaullah Afridi.

“During the course of interrogation Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minister Ziauallah Afridi revealed that Mir Zaman was also involved, so we arrested him and interrogations are underway,” an official of the commission told The Express Tribune.

Zaman had gone missing after the arrest of Afridi by the Ehtesab Commission along with 10 other officials of the provincial mining department by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday.

Read: Embezzlement allegations: PTI minister, 10 officials arrested in mining fraud

Afridi has been accused of abusing the authority of his office, of posting and transferring officials without following protocol and of causing the exchequer losses worth billions of rupees.

According to reports, the secretary mines and other officials were also under investigation after the arrest of PTI minister while authorities were looking for DG minerals.

Read: PTI's Ziaullah Afridi rushed to hospital due to 'severe chest pain'

Last week, Afridi was shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex from a lockup on Saturday as he complained of severe chest pain. Complaints of ill health came only a day after the PTI minister was remanded into custody for 13 days by the Ehtesab Commission court.

Later, after spending five hours at the hospital, the accused was shifted back to the lockup at 5am, only to be taken to another hospital for further tests as the pain failed to subside.