Moonis Elahi's arrest 'out of question': NAB

Anti-corruption watchdog’s EBM authorises conducting 11 inquiries, two investigations against various personalities

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday said that the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Federal Water Resources Minister Moonis Elahi was "out of the question".

According to the anti-graft watchdog's spokesperson, no inquiry was pending against Elahi at present, adding that NAB had also issued an explanation yesterday in this connection.

He clarified that NAB has nothing to do with the no-confidence motion and the institution always believed in performing its duties in accordance with the Constitution and law.

"NAB does not belong to any political party, group or individual but to the state of Pakistan. No NAB official has anything to do with the no-confidence motion and will never have," the spokesperson further said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Board Meeting (EBM) of the anti-corruption watchdog on Wednesday authorised conducting 11 inquiries and two investigations against various personalities on allegations of looting public exchequer.

According to NAB spokesperson, the EBM approved inquiries against various personalities including M/s ACE Group (ACE marketing group, Pvt, Ltd), ACE Builders Pvt Ltd and others, management of Utility Store Corporation, officers, officials and others of Punjab Cooperative Board of Liquidation, Anjum Pervaiz, former senior General Manager, Pakistan Railways and others.

The inquiries were sanctioned against officers, officials of Ministry of Housing and Works, officials, officers and others of State office, owners, sponsors of Shaukat Marvat Group of companies, officers, officials and others of Forest department.

The national graft-buster also approved inquiries against Javed Memon, Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department, Larkana and others, Professor Ghulam Asghar Channa, Vice Chancellor and others of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, engineer Sardar Ali Shah, Project Director of Right Bank Outfall Drain, Hyderabad circle, Pritam Das, superintending engineer, Irrigation department, Govt of Sindh, Ali Muhammad, Contractor, AMB and Company, Pvt, Limited and others.

The NAB-EBM authorised conducting two investigations against various personalities including Ghulam Haider Jamali, former inspector general, Police, Sindh, Karachi and others, officers/ officials of District Director Agriculture Department DI Khan and others.

The Executive Board Meeting allowed sending the complaint against Adam Khan Automobiles Pvt Ltd and others to IG Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for legal action and the closure of inquiries against CDA officers/officials and others and Mohammad Omar Work, former Superintendent of Police, in accordance with the law.

Speaking on the occasion, NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal maintained that over the last four years, the accountability courts had not only convicted 1,405 accused but also recovered Rs584 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements.

With input from APP