Alleged corruption: Court directs NAB to take action against jail cops

Petitioner alleges Punjab prisons chief, former superintendent made misappropriation in purchase of food, equipment

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Thursday directed the anti-graft body to take “lawful action” against two police officers who were allegedly involved in corruption.

While taking up a petition filed by a former jail official, who alleged that Punjab Prisons’ Inspector General (IG) Farooq Nazi and former Adiala Jail superintendent Malik Mushtaq made irregularities in purchasing daily food items and security equipment for the jail, LHC judges Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Sardar Ahmed Naeem issued directives to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief and the bureau’s Rawalpindi director general to take action against the two officials.

Citing the NAB chairman, the NAB Rawalpindi director general (DG), the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab DG, the ACE Rawalpindi director, the IG jail, the ex-superintendent of Adiala jail and others as respondents, the petitioner maintained that he had pointed out the alleged irregularities by the two jail officials at different forums, but no action had so far been taken against them.

He had prayed the court to direct the NAB and ACE Punjab authorities to take action against the two officials.

Nazim Shah, who joined Punjab Prisons Department as a clerk in 2003, said that he started pointing out the alleged irregularities and corruption in Adiala jail since 2012. The petitioner said that he was dismissed from service on April 28, 2014, with jail authorities citing absence from work for two-days as the reason. He said that has already challenged his dismissal in the Punjab Services Tribunal.

The petitioner further said that Punjab chief and home secretaries have already apprised the LHC in Lahore on a petition challenging the seniority of Nazir, regarding his eligibility for the for the IG slot. He claimed that an audit report has also raised questions about different financial decisions made by the prisons IG.

The petitioner said that he has already provided to the NAB and other anti-graft bodies the details of irregularities committed by the IG prisons in purchasing daily food items and security equipment for the jail.

Regarding alleged corruption by Mushtaq, the petitioner claimed that the former superintendent has amassed properties and assets beyond his known source of income. He alleged that Mushtaq was also involved in the escape of Rooh Ullah, who was arrested in connection with the murder of former Attorney General Muhammad Sardar Khan in Islamabad.

The petitioner also provided a complete detail of account numbers and properties owned by Mushtaq and Nazir.

The petitioner alleged that on December 6, 2014, the two officials tried to kill him using the services of unidentified gunmen , who opened fire on and hit his the leg.

No arrests have been made yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2016.