NAB authorises 3 investigations, 5 inquiries

Probe against former sessions judge, PA ex-deputy speaker approved

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Executing Board Meeting (EBM) on Tuesday authorised conducting three investigations, five inquiries and constituting a joint investigation team (JIT) for carrying out probe against various personalities.

Presiding over the executive board meeting, NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal approved conducting three investigations against former sessions judge Khizar Hayat, Punjab Assembly former member Ahmed Khan Baloch and ex-deputy speaker Sher Ali Gorchani and others, according to the anti-graft watchdog spokesperson.

The EBM accorded approval for carrying out five separate inquiries against Punjab Assembly former member Muhammad Naeem Anwar, Muhammad Saleem Khalid Mehmood and others, directors, chief executive officers of M/s Fatima Group of Companies, attached departments and others, Pepco former managing director Tahir Basharat Cheema and others, Federal Land Commission, Haroonabad and Bahawalnagar Revenue Department officers/officials and others and Khanewal former EDO health Dr Fazal Karim and others.

The EBM referred five ongoing inquiries to relevant departments on the condition to share logical conclusion of inquiries with NAB.

The ongoing inquiry against National Assembly member Ehsanul Haq Bajwa and Public Health Engineering officers/officials has been referred to Public Health Engineering, Punjab Highway Department; another inquiry against Haroonabad former tehsil nazim Muhammad Yasin has been transferred to tehsil Haroonabad deputy commissioner on the condition to share the logical conclusion with the anti-corruption watchdog.

The EBM authorised constituting a JIT to investigate against Haroonabad former tehsil nazim Muhammad Yasin, Punjab Assembly former member Ghazala Shaheen, former member provincial assembly Ghulam Murtaza and Azam Sohail son of Fateh Muhammad and others.

The JIT comprising representatives from NAB, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and State Bank of Pakistan has been mandated to complete the inquiry within the next 90 days.

The EBM okayed referring the ongoing inquiry against Muzaffargarh District Council Chairman Sardar Umer Khan Gopang, Muzaffargarh district council former chief officer Aamir Saleem Bhatti and others to Punjab anti-corruption establishment; another inquiry against Rahim Yar Khan Khawaja Fareed University Vice Chancellor Dr Athar Mehboob and others to Punjab Higher Education Department; another inquiry against Tehsil Chobara, district Layyah Revenue Department officers/officials and others to Punjab Board of Revenue senior member on the condition to share the logical conclusion of inquiries with the NAB.

The NAB chairman observed that the bureau was making earnest efforts to make the country corruption-free by ensuring to bring the mega corruption cases to their logical end.

He maintained that the anti-graft watchdog had no affiliation with any political party, individual or group.

“The only affiliation is with the state of Pakistan. NAB is utilising all available resources to recover the looted money from corrupt elements,” he said.

The chairman directed the department concerned to complete complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations within the stipulated period so that references against the accused could be filed in the respected accountability courts as per law.

The deputy chairman, prosecutor general accountability, director general operations and other senior officers attended the EBM.

With additional input from APP