NAB to investigate K-P’s tsunami tree project

The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Executive Board on Wednesday approved four separate investigations into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Billion-Tree Tsunami Project, a spokesperson for the anti-graft buster said.

According to the spokesperson, the anti-corruption watchdog also approved six separate inquiries into the project.

The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal.

The meeting also approved filing one reference, conducting seven investigations, 12 inquiries and closing some investigations for want of evidence.

The NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) accorded approval for filing a reference against a member of Pakistan Petroleum Limited’s (PPL) Board of Directors Asim Murtaza Khan and others for inflicting losses to the national exchequer by awarding oil and gas contracts to M/s Moranoftodo.

Investigations into the KP Textbook Board's officers and others, the Sindh Education and Literacy Department's officials and others, and the Almasa Model Town and Professors Model Town's administration and others were also approved.

The EBM approved conducting inquiries against the management and others of sugar mills in Sugar Subsidy Scandal, inquiries against Abdul Raheem Khan, Zahoor Ahmed, Azmat Ali Shah, Hamza Khan, Arashur Rehman, Additional Controller, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan and others, officers/officials of Bannu Sugar Mills Limited, Archeology Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sardar Khan Chandio, Member provincial assembly, Burhan Khan Chandio, Member provincial assembly, officers/officials and others of revenue department.

The EBM closed inquiries against Qaiser Wali Khan, former member provincial assembly, officers/officials and others of Pak PWD, officers/officials of LGE and RDD,TMA Town, officers/officials, others of Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, former district Nazim Peshawar and others, officers/officials of local government department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dilawar Hussain Memon, CEO, Sepco, Sukkur, Nazir Soomro, CTO, Sukkur and others owing to absence of evidence as per law.

The EBM accorded approval to close investigation against Sarir Muhammad, former DG PDA, Muhammad Tariq, former general manager, PDA, Abdul Haleem Paracha, former director PDA, Mirza Khan Housing Officer PDA and others due to absence of evidence in accordance with law.

Speaking on the occasion, NAB chairman said the bureau was making serious efforts to eradicate corruption from the country.

He said the NAB had recovered a record Rs 466 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements and deposited the amount in the national exchequer.

Meanwhile, NAB Karachi prepared supplementary reference against 11 accused including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail.

Other accused include Usman Hassan and Yousuf Jameel Ansari.

According to sources, the anti-corruption watchdog had sent 30 questions to Ismail but the PML-N leader could not give satisfactory reply to any of them.

Ismail is wanted by NAB for allegedly illegally awarding gas contracts in SSGC to a private company in his capacity as chairman of the organisation.

A reference had been filed against former petroleum adviser Dr Asim Hussain, SSGC former MD Zuhair Siddiqui, Shoaib Warsi, Arshad Mirza and others.

It was further said that the fee to the counsels for the accused had been paid from the government funds for the proceedings of the case, the approval for which was given by Ismail.

WITH INPUT FROM APP