NAB summons Ahsan Iqbal, Akram Khan Durrani today

Opposition politicians have been summoned to further the investigation into alleged embezzlement of government funds

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi has summoned PML-N central leader Ahsan Iqbal and senior JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani on Monday (today) in separate corruption cases.

The former planning minister has been summoned to further the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of government funds in the construction of Narowal Sports City Project (NSCP), Rawalpindi and the latter over suspicions of making illegal appointments in the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation and the Public Works Department when he was the federal minister for works and housing.

Assets beyond means reference: Court grants bail to Durrani, other accused

Besides Durrani, former housing and works secretary Shahrukh Arbab along with 30 others have also been summoned at 11:30 am.
Iqbal is the senior-most PML-N leader who has headed the interior as well as planning and development ministries. The investigation against him was initiated in May 2018 on the orders of NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal to verify a complaint against the alleged misappropriation of government funds – a whopping Rs6 billion – in the construction of NSCP.

Durrani, who has served as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and the federal minister, is out on bail granted by the Islamabad High Court till January 1, 2020 in three cases; assets beyond means, illegal recruitments and unlawful allotment of plots for mosques.

Durrani, who is the head of the opposition parties’ Rahbar Committee, has denied all allegations, saying he is being targeted due to the JUI-F’s ‘Azadi March’.