NAB to review probes in light of amended law

Graft-buster forms committee on ongoing inquiries, investigation

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) constituted a committee on Thursday to review and decide about the fate of ongoing inquiries and investigations in light of the new amendments to the accountability laws.

The decision was taken in an Executive Board Meeting of NAB, which was chaired by acting Chairman Zahir Shah. The meeting was attended by Syed Asghar Haider, Prosecutor General Accountability, Farmanullah Khan, Director General, NAB, Rawalpindi and senior officers.

The committee would be headed by the DG headquarters, and comprise director of NAB Operation Division, legal consultants of the Prosecution Division, and relevant desk officers of the operation division at the NAB headquarters, said a news release.

The committee would see whether an ongoing inquiry or investigation was required to continue or close under the amended NAB Act, 2022. It would submit a preliminary report to the relevant departments as well as to the EBM for further consideration.

The EBM decided that the newly-amended NAB Act would be implemented. The meeting further decided not to share details of inquiries and investigations authorised in its meeting in compliance with the amended act.

Meanwhile, the EBM authorised filing of a reference against Meraj A Syed, former chief hydrographer, Gwadar Port Authority, and others in alleged abuse of power and misappropriation of state funds, causing Rs794 million loss to the national exchequer.

The EBM also closed various inquiries and investigations due to absence of evidence, including inquiries against the administration of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), officers and officials and others of the Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltistan, Barrister Sheikh Abid Waheed, former managing director of Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) and others, Major (retd) Syed Khalid Amin Shah, chief security officer of the Peshawar Development Authority and others, Saleem Hassan Wattoo, former director general of the Peshawar Development Authority and others, Ameen Vance, former capital city police officer, Lahore, and others, Zulfikar Ghuman, director general of the Punjab Sports Board and others, Muhammad Ramzan Awan, former secretary Local Government Department, Sindh, and others, Prof (retd) Dr Azam Hussain Yousfani, vice chancellor of the Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Shaheed Benazirabad, and others, and Akbar Durrani, former Balochistan home secretary.

The EBM also closed inquiries against officers and officials of the Peshawar Development Authority, and others, officers and officials and contractors of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), Shahid Hussain Asad, former additional secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and others due to absence of evidence.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)