NAB authorises inquiries against Saad Rafique

Former railways minister accused of inflicting losses to national exchequer

ISLAMABAD:

The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has authorised filing inquiries against PML-N leader and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and others for inflicting losses to the national exchequer.

The EBM presided over by NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has okayed the filing of a total of 10 inquiries against various personalities including Saad Rafique, officers/officials of railways and others, former Punjab anti-corruption DG Muzaffar Ali Ranjha, former Faisalabad DCO Noorul Amin Mengal, officers/officials of highway development Faisalabad, city district government Faisalabad, M/s ZKB Reliable and others, former mayor and MNA Faisalabad Chaudhry Sher Ali, former deputy commissioner Faisalabad Muhammad Amin Chaudhry, Mian Anjum, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Suleman, Imran Sher Ali, officers/officials and others of FDA, officers/officials of Khawaja Fareed University Rahim Yar Khan, Chief Secretary, Punjab, officers of Punjab Education Foundation, Vehari, officers/officials, Secretary Excise and Taxation Rahim Yar Khan, management/others of United Ethanol Industries Sadiqabad, officials/officers, others of C &D Department, officers/officials/others of Live Stock Department Multan, MNA Mehr Irshad Ahmed Khan, others, said a statement.

The EBM authorised transferring ongoing inquiries against former tehsil nazim Muhammad Yasin, Ghazala Shaheen daughter of Muhammad Yasin, former MPA Ghulam Murtaza, Azam Sohail and others to the FBR and FIA for further proceedings.

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The EBM okayed sending inquiries against retired medical superintendent DHQ hospital Bahawalpur Hafiz Muhammad Tariq Javed and others to anti-corruption department Punjab for further proceedings.

The EBM approved sending inquiries against retired judge Multan Nazir Ahmed Langah and others and advocate high court Hafiz Allah Ditta Kashif to registrar Lahore High Court.

The forum okayed sending ongoing inquiries against former MPA Punjab Muhammad Islam Aslam and officers/officials of Cholistan Development Authority to senior member Board of Revenue Punjab.

The EBM authorised closing the inquiries against MPA Punjab Sohail Zafar, former town nazim Gujranwala Rizwan Zafar and others, MPA Malik Ghazanfar Abbas Cheema, Muhammad Sher Cheema and officials/officers of Punjab Revenue Department owing to the absence of evidence.

The NAB chairman said that the anti-graft watchdog had recovered Rs323 billion directly and indirectly from the corrupt elements in 2020. In total, the national graft buster has recovered Rs814 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements since its inception.

The meeting was attended by NAB Deputy Chairman Hussain Asghar, Prosecutor General Accountability Syed Asghar Haider, NAB Director General Operations Zahir Shah and other senior officers of the anti-corruption watchdog.