Four anti-corruption references approved against ex-minister, officials

Probes approved against Sindh industries minister for land grabbing

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday approved four corruption references against former provincial ministers and government officials in addition to launching probes against other officials and ministers.

In an executive board meeting chaired by NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry at NAB headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday, decisions regarding the references and probes were made. A corruption reference would be filed against former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Revenue Syed Murid Kazim and other officials of the provincial government for illegal transfer of state land in Dera Ismail Khan.



A second reference was approved against Saeed Ahmad Qureshi, the owner of the Multan based Sultan Flour and General Mills (Pvt) Ltd for selling in the open market wheat which had been procured on subsidised rates from the government, causing a loss of Rs2.38 million.

The third corruption reference was approved against the former K-P Board of Revenue member Ahsanullah Khan and other officials of the K-P Revenue Department for misusing their authority in the illegally promotion of Naib Tehsildars and other revenue staff.

The fourth reference was approved against Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) ex-chairman Moeen Aftab Sheikh for causing a loss of Rs188.16 million.

The NAB executive board also authorised investigations against Sindh Minister for Industries Muhammad Ali Malkani for alleged corruption and land grabbing. Along with Malkani, former Thatta District Nazim Haji Shoukat Malkani and others will be probed.



Investigations against Ex-Secretary, Postal Services Raja Ikramul Haq, Deputy DG Financial Services Azizullah Khan, Additional DG Operations Pakistan Post Fazle Sattar, Director Financial Services Hafiz Zafar Ali Malik and CEO NM/S MSK International Msroor Sarwar Khan, for alleged fraud in a Housing Scheme at Kurri Road.

Three probes against officials of Pak PWD Lahore were also authorised for non-transparency in the tendering process which had caused the exchequer Rs153 million.

An inquiry against former Gilgit-Baltistan Education Minister Ali Madad Sher was also authorised. NAB also approved an investigation against officials of the Privatisation Commission over the sale of Pak-American Fertiliser Ltd in Daudkhel.

It also re-authorised an inquiry against officials of Ministry of Information Technology, PTCL and PTA over the handling of the International Clearing House.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.