Ex-bureaucrat slapped with Rs632m fine

The accountability court here on Wednesday jailed Ali Gul Kurd, a former managing director of Pasni Fish Harbour and director general of Treasury and Accounts, Balochistan, for seven years along with a fine of Rs632 million in a corruption case.

Kurd, a serving grade-20 officer of the Balochistan government, was arrested after the announcement of the verdict and sent to jail to start his prison term. The court also ordered confiscation of his properties worth billions of rupees.

“The accused Ali Gul Kurd is convicted and sentenced to suffer seven years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs632 million,” Accountability Judge Aftab Ahmed Lone ruled in the case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Balochistan.

During the proceedings, NAB Balochistan was represented by Prosecutor Mohammad Dawood Jan. The judge issued directives for confiscating Kurd’s properties, including commercial buildings, and lands worth billions of rupees.

Kurd had started the government service in grade-17 after passing the Balochistan Public Service Commission exams in 1995. In his career, he held several important positions, including the director general of Treasury and Accounts and the MD of Pasni Fish Harbour.

The NAB case was based on investigation into his posting as the director general of Treasury and Accounts. Then, it transpired that the accused had constructed four commercial plazas worth billions of rupees on Samangali Road, a posh area of Quetta.

Further investigations by the NAB Balochistan also revealed that the accused was the owner of several acres of land situated in Quetta and Mastung districts, besides 90 apartments and 25 shops and a wedding hall.

Kurd is not the first serving government officer to be convicted of corruption in the recent past. Judge Lone recently convicted Imran Gichki, a secretary in the Balochistan government, in illegal assets case. Former finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani was also convicted likewise.