NAB authorises probe against Ishaq Dar

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday accorded approval for conducting a new inquiry against former finance minister Ishaq Dar and former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister (G-B) Syed Mehdi Shah on graft charges.

The decision was taken in a NAB Executive Board Meeting (EBM), which was presided over by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal.

Dar was declared an absconder by the Supreme Court in 2017 when he failed to appear before it since he was in London, reportedly undergoing medical treatment. Since then, he remains in London. In May 2018, the top court suspended Dar's Senate membership.

The EBM okayed filing two corruption references, three investigations, seven inquires, transferring a few investigations to parent departments for further action and closing an inquiry against Capital Development Authority (CDA) officers due to lack of evidence.

The forum granted approval for filing corruption reference against CDA Estate Management former director Asadullah Faiz, CDA Estate Management former deputy director general Shahid Murtaza Bukhari, CDA Estate Management DAO Muhammad Arshad, CDA Estate Management former accounts officer Maqbool Ahmed, Attaur Rehman, Saeedur Rehman, Munawar Ahmed and Muhammad Ahmed.

The reference will be filed on charges of illegally allotting and commercialising a plot reserved for clinic, which inflicted losses up to Rs91.964 million to the national exchequer.

The EBM approved filing another corruption reference against former ambassador at embassy of Pakistan in Sofia AS Babar Hashmi and former accountant at Embassy of Pakistan in Sofia Muhammad Tufail Qazi for their alleged involvement in misappropriation of embassy funds and causing losses of millions of rupees to the treasury.

The EBM also accorded approval for conducting three investigations against several persons including two investigations against Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) Chief Executive Officer Syed Talat Mehmood and others. The EBM also okayed investigations against the Pakistan Sports Board Liaquat Gymnasium officers/officials.

The meeting approved conducting seven inquiries against various personalities including former finance minister Ishaq Dar, former G-B chief minister Syed Mehdi Shah, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) Chief Executive Officer Syed Talat Mehmood and others, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony officers/officials and others, former Punjab Assembly member Malik Tanvir Aslam Awan and others, Nimra Tanveer, Raheela Asghar, Asghar Nawaz, M/s Geo Masters Private Limited, Geo Masters International Limited management and others.

The executive board sanctioned sending the ongoing investigations being conducted against former Pakistan Science Foundation chairman Dr Manzoor Hussain and Ministry of Science and Technology officers, officials and others to the Ministry of Science and Technology for further action.

The EBM granted approval to transfer the matter regarding the sale of the building of Pakistan Embassy in Japan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further action.

The forum allowed closing the ongoing inquiry regarding integrated resource management information system against CDA officers, officials and others due to lack of evidence and completion of the project by the relevant company.

Speaking on the occasion, the NAB chairman said the anti-graft watchdog was strictly adhering to the policy of “accountability for everyone” and maintained that a corruption-free Pakistan was its top priority.

The meeting was told that the national graft buster had directly and indirectly deposited Rs466 billion in the national exchequer after recovering the amount from the corrupt elements.

It was further said that reputed national and international organisations had hailed the performance of the anti-corruption watchdog, which was a matter of pride for the bureau.

The meeting was attended by NAB deputy chairman, its prosecutor general accountability, DG operations, DG Rawalpindi and other senior officials.

(With input from APP)