NAB scrutinises PTI-era uplift projects

Former CM, ministers face asset probes as anti-graft body seeks records

PESHAWAR:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched a detailed probe into alleged irregularities in development projects, contract awards and the assets of former government officials during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to NAB sources, the bureau has already sought the asset records of former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former ministers Fazal Hakim and Dr Amjad. Parallel inquiries are under way into development schemes and contracts executed during the tenure of then-caretaker or inactive chief minister Sohail Afridi.

Officials said NAB has begun examining expenditure on various development projects, the process of awarding contracts and the quality and cost of construction works carried out under the previous provincial government. The Communication and Works (C&W) Department has been specifically asked to submit complete details of roads constructed during Sohail Afridi's period in office, lists of ongoing and completed schemes, the total number of contracts issued and the identities of the contractors who secured them.

Relevant departments have been directed to provide full documentation covering project approvals, contract allotments and execution of civil works so that any possible irregularities can be assessed. NAB sources confirmed that notices have also been issued to the Revenue Department, the registrar of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and other concerned institutions demanding records of properties and assets held by former PTI office-holders.

Once these records are examined, the bureau may issue formal notices calling the relevant leaders for inquiry if warranted by the evidence. In a related track, NAB is reviewing the possibility of action against officers allegedly involved in illegal recruitments and corruption during the PTI government's tenure. Files pertaining to these matters are being collected and analysed.

A NAB spokesperson emphasised that any further steps will be decided strictly on the basis of the records under scrutiny and the strength of available evidence. "No final conclusion has yet been reached regarding the allegations against the leaders or officers concerned," the sources added.

The investigation marks a significant escalation of NAB's focus on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's previous administration. By targeting both high-value development projects and the personal assets of senior political figures, the accountability body is signalling its intent to examine the full spectrum of governance decisions taken between 2018 and 2023. Provincial departments have been placed under pressure to produce documents promptly, raising expectations that the probe could expand if discrepancies emerge in the paperwork.

Observers note that such inquiries often take months to complete, given the volume of files involved and the need for cross-verification with multiple agencies. For now, NAB has confined itself to the collection and preliminary examination of records. The outcome will depend on whether the material yields concrete evidence of wrongdoing or remains within the realm of administrative review.

As the process continues, the former officials named in the asset requests and the contractors linked to the scrutinised projects remain under the cloud of investigation, pending the bureau's final assessment.