Embezzling development funds: PHC rejects bail plea of three officials

Dr Ambar Ali, Zulfiqar Ali, Athar were charged with misappropriation of millions

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court dismissed bail applications of the former planning and development additional secretary, Mansehra former DCO and a Haripur sub-divisional engineer over charges of corruption. The applications were dismissed by a divisional bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Qaiser Rasheed.

Counsel for petitioner, for Mansehra former DCO Zulfiqar Ali, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, argued the National Accountability Bureau arrested former planning and development additional secretary Dr Ambar Ali, Zulfiqar and sub-divisional engineer Athar on charges of embezzlement in development funds worth Rs100 million.

Developing Mansehra

The funds were approved by the prime minister for development schemes for Kala Dhaka and Mansehra in 2012.

Anwar told the court the contractor who was also charged in this case was released through voluntary return and plea bargain.

He said Zulfiqar Ali was appointed as Mansehra DCO on October 12, 2012 and was transferred on November 30, 2012. He was accused of giving administrative approval of the schemes.



The bench was informed the allocation of expenditure of each scheme was sent from PM House and a committee was formed to supervise these projects. The apex court stayed work on the projects soon after Zulfiqar Ali assumed charge as DCO and ordered the auditor general of Pakistan to conduct an audit.

“The AG didn’t mention the word misappropriation anywhere in its report; instead it mentioned no income tax was deducted from the funds at the time of payment to the contractors,” he argued. The lawyer argued even the Hazara Division commissioner in his report declared the projects fair but NAB summoned the applicants and arrested them when they appeared.

Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik representing sub-divisional engineer Athar Ali argued all projects were completed as per rules and regulations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2016.