NAB launches another inquiry against Buzdar

Punjab chief minister is accused of granting contracts of development projects to cronies

PESHAWAR/ LAHORE:

The country’s prime anti-graft watchdog has launched another inquiry against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for allegedly awarding contracts of key development projects in the province of Punjab to his cronies.

According to sources, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) started the probe after receiving complaints of nepotism and sought details of the contracts from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) and other government departments.

NAB has also started to investigate the Gateway to Lahore Project, built at the provincial capital’s Thokar Niaz Baig area. The initial cost of the project was Rs25million which has now swelled to Rs80 million.

Earlier, NAB had issued Buzdar a call-up notice for allegedly receiving Rs50 million to force the excise and taxation department to illegally issue a liquor licence to a hotel.

The hotel, which is under construction near the Lahore airport, had applied to the excise and taxation department for an L-2 liquor licence. However, it did not first obtain a 4/5 star rating from the Punjab Department of Tourist Services required under the Pakistan Hotels and Restaurant Act 1976.

In 2009, the chief minister’s office had issued a policy under which an L-2 liquor licence could only be issued to hotels having a 4/5 star rating.

However, the excise and taxation department issued licence to the hotel near the Lahore airport in 2019 in violation of the 2009 policy as it had not acquired a 4/5 star rating.

According to NAB sources, the licence was issued to the hotel despite the excise and taxation department referring the matter to the chief minister’s office thrice, informing Buzdar that the move was in violation of the 2009 policy.

The sources said the chief minister’s office willfully failed to exercise lawful authority to prevent the issuance of illegal L-2 licence to the hotel despite having the knowledge about the sensitivity of the matter. According to NAB, a sum of Rs50million was given as bribe to issue the licence.

Separately, NAB in Khyber Pakhtunkwa province has summoned Zia-ur-Rehman, a brother of the JUI-F chief Mualana Fazlur Rehman, on August 25 in connection with its probe into an illegal hiring case.

NAB has formed an investigation team investigate allegedly illegal hiring by Zia in his capacity as former Commissioner Afghan Refugees (CAR).Rehman also allegedly purchased machinery at higher rates than their actual price, causing losses to the national exchequer.

NAB joint investigation team would also look into the alleged embezzlement in procurement of goods during the tenure of Zia. The investigation team would also probe into allegations of his having wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Rehman started his career in the K-P as a division engineer in the Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) during the last the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government. Zia was then appointed in the provincial management services as section officer.

His appointment as CAR was also challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2016.