Misusing authority: Former MNA arrested in land scam case

Sardar Mushtaq Khan set to appear today before Ehtesab judge for physical remand

HARIPUR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkwa Ehtesab Commission on Friday arrested a former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz parliamentarian on charges of involvement in a multi-million rupee land scam.

Ex-MNA Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan was taken into custody for investigation and is set to appear before the Ehtesab Judge, Peshawar, for physical remand today (Saturday).

Sources at the Ehtesab Commission told The Express Tribune that the National Accountability Bureau had previously conducted an inquiry into the case relating to the sale of land to Workers Welfare Board K-P during 2010. But the case was later brushed aside after Mushtaq joined Pakistan Peoples Party.

Two similar petitions were filed against the former parliamentarian before the Abbottabad bench accusing him of misusing his authority and selling his personal land from his native village, Kot Najeebullah, to Workers Welfare Board K-P for the construction of a labour colony, at higher rates and allegedly causing the national exchequer a loss of Rs140 million.

A former independent candidate Waqar Shah and a former union nazim Riaz Khan, alleged in their petitions that Mushtaq violated Article 62 E of the Constitution and sought his permanent disqualification. The case was later dismissed under a deal with the PPP govt.

Shah had earlier also filed an application seeking the registration of a criminal case against the ex-MNA under section 22 A, but that too was rejected by the district and sessions court Haripur during 2010.

Mushtaq was elected from NA-19 Haripur in 2008 on a PML-N party ticket but jumped ship to join PPP after being accused of land scam and continuous harassment from NAB. The ex-MNA later joined PML-N after being defeated in the 2013 elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2016.