LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested General Manager Operations of Pakistan Railways (PR) Saeed Akhtar, on alleged misuse of authority and other charges in relation to a multi-billion scrap scandal, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Sources familiar with the matter said that some accused including the PR officials and contractors have already been arrested while some were released on bail after depositing back the plundered money.
Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and former secretary Samiul Haq Khilji were also named in the scrap scandal. They are accused of giving permission for awarding tenders to certain contractors after receiving bribes from them.
The same allegation was also levelled against Akhtar by another accused, former Controller of Stores PR Khalid Mohiuddin during the ongoing investigation.
It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani gave one year extension to Akhtar’s contract, who had retired recently.
NAB Chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari had established a special operations division, headed by Director General Colonel retired Shahzad Bhatti to investigate all the high-profile corruption cases referred to the NAB by the Supreme Court, including cases against Akhtar.
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I am damn sure that Mr Akhtar is innocent and it is just a fake allegation. I have seen his sincerity towards his work and in serving people...!!
I am very Sad to hear this about MR SAEED AKHTAR, I know him from long time and he is very Honest man. I have seen him regular in prayers and worked very close to him. He is really very honest and its very sad and painful for me to hear this and to see him with locked hand cuff. On top of that physical REMAND !!!!
I pray for him to come out of all this rubbish ASAP.
@SK - Salman: My comment was about dysfunctional states and the need for the world to institute a system for correcting such aberrations in time, and not about corruption. I do not dispute anything you say about corruption in India. Corruption to a certain point is a good thing just as the famous phrase "Greed is good" says about greed. Corruption lubricates economic activity to a certain point just as greed spurs it. But, everything in excess is bad. So are corruption and greed. I hope and pray that we get a handle on it. It would be a mistake to write off Anna Hazaare, as yet. The recent manifestation - sound drubbing of Raoul Ghandy in the UP elections. You may remember if you follow Indian politics Anna had offered to work with him which he declined or ignored.
@G. Din: So what accounts for trillions of Dollars of Indian Corruption money in Swiss Bank Accounts, according to Julian Assange of Wikileaks???? Would be nice if you would enlighten us on that. While Pakistani press works overtime to publicize the corruption and misuse of resources by Pakistani politicians, a cursory look at the Indian press shows miniscule coverage. With that kind of money just sitting in Swiss Banks from Indian wheelers and dealers, what's going on?????? And after all Anna Hazare Sahib did to bring out the corruption issue, it has been swept under the rugs quite successfully.
@jibran: Mate, check your facts. Punjab province had the highest recovery rates on terms of electricity payments. No other province comes close.
i am proud of being a citizen of a corrupt nation pakistan
@Khan Jr: "Maybe it’s time to open up an international tender for governing Pakistan. " I believe you are being facetious while making that comment. But, seriously, there is a case to be made for putting dysfunctional countries (and, there are quite a few of them around the world) under some kind of an UN trusteeship for a certain number of years. UN takes over and appoints an international team of highly-qualified technocrats to govern the country, strengthening its self-governing capability. It is nothing other than constitutional provisions in various countries, such as India, where the Federal government may dismiss a state government and declare Governor's Rule by a person of eminence recommended by it to the President. In the US, too, such a provision is available within the states whereby the Governor of the state may enact such an instrument with respect to any public entity within his/her state. However Federal government cannot dismiss any state government. The only lacuna in such an arrangement would be the accountability issue. Whereas UN cannot be made accountable to the people of the country or state, the Federal government in India becomes accountable to the people of the state in the next election. This has led to some abuses as, for instance, when Nehru dismissed the legitimately-elected communist government in Kerala. Of course, Nehru was the unchallengeable Prince Charming and he could get his way regardless. There have been several such cases over the years but currently there is considerable hesitation in doing so, precisely because of the accountability that follows such actions.
please chor du issay , he's just a Bhutto ka Jiyala ! theres no corrution, no umemployment , no load shedding , its all opposition's propogande to defame Firdous Aashiq Awan ! trust me
Maybe it's time to open up an international tender for governing Pakistan. The proceeds can be divided among its citizens every five years. We will not only get a shade richer but who knows we may even get a less thieving government...
minister for railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour should be arrested too...
NAB appears more like a body for political usage and less like an accountability authority.
Why haven't they arrested the other two culprits??? Just because one is a minister and the other a secretary??? Don't we have the same law and punishment for each and every thief and crook???
Blour should be forced to resign.
I can not believe any one calling Mr Ghulam Bilour corrupt .. the guy had only one son who was shot by opponents during an election in 90's when he had just got married .. He is anything but corrupt IMO .. as I have known him personally. Yes, he does lack the skills to sort out the railway's mess and should not be made a minister. The only solution for PIA & Railways is privatization .. once privatize the owner's only concern will be profit and that will make them not only invest in it by getting better, modern bogies but every employee from MD to clerk will be scared of losing job thus will be forced to work hard. As currently in both departments all employees have to do is sip tea and be laid back and wait for the end of month to get their pockets filled, If the department is profitable or losing money both way they get their earning so why should they be worried?.
@Abdul Hadi Khan : please enlighten us on why u think this an allegation and akhtar is innocent ?
f NAB shows courage it will find that Saeed Akhtar has been resisting the sale of scrap and the tender was scrapped by Saeed Akhtar. It was Bilour who over ruled Saeed Akhtar. NAB,as usual, will find some escape goat perhaps Saeed Akhtar in this case. They dare not touch Bilour, the real culprit. What has NAB done in NICL case. Illegal money has been traced and returned also. What else can be a better and solid proof of corruption.
To me, he has been made scapegoat for the sins of some level Minister....
Is it only me, or others as well have no trust in people who put haji and maulana with their names?
Pakistan was never created by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for financial irregularities and corruption in public and private sector.
The dilemma of Pakistan is that it take so much time to unearth corruption due to non-transparent system which people do not want to make transparent so that they should cheat and loot the country.
As far as charity is concerned Pakistan stands number 3 in the world, but the money for charity is given by the people after evading government taxes.
What happens next?
People are robbed at gun point and receive threats from Bhatta Mafia and in order to save their lives they are forced to pay the money.
If people will start giving taxes honestly on their actual earnings, the robbers and Bhatta Mafia will not away their money.
The justice is served in Pakistan at a time when people take away the looted money and invest in foreign countries.
Take the example of Prime Minister Gilani.
He is ready to lose his job but do not want to write a letter against the President to Swiss Authorities in order to save the President.
My question to NAB is: when will you people arrest the Federal Minister of Railway or you will leave him to roam freely so that he should transfer the money into his foreign countries account?
Three Railway Ministers are responsible for destruction; Yusaf Gilani under PM Junejo, Zafar Leghari under BB, Billor under Nawaz and Billor again under Gillani. They should all be prosecuted.
No good expectations from NAB..!! the results would have been the same as plenty of other cases..!!
NAB... really a good idea to bring accountability... question is whether the people who are employed by NAB are qualified enough? All retired army officers are holding positions and famous for collusion. Why not NAB act as regulatory body and hire Chartered accountant firms to investigate transactions ! Independent solicitors firm then take the culprits to courts.
You can see the minor corruption cases my lord but you turn a blind eye to the corruption by generals , to the killings by the terrorists who are set free Wah Insaf hoga....
I am damn sure about Mr. Akhtar's sincerity towards serving the nation and this is a fake allegation against him. He can never be a part of corruption.
I was about to appreciate PPP govt and then I read he has been given one year extension by Gillani. One of the most corrupt prime ministers we have!
“… some were released on bail after depositing back the plundered money”. That is just ludicrous. Why the bar is so low that just returning the money they are let go. They should get exemplary punishments so that other think twice before looting the country.
I think this should be the last time we give sensitive federal ministries to ANP.
Apart from raising the temperature on changing the name of NWFP, they have been good for nothing.
It's sad that PML-n ministers had to resign the federal government. They would have done a much better job.
I hope he is not relative of any minister, cause usually these people get released due to political interference
Finally some justice
Lets see if he is arrested, Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour. This guy has single-handedly destroyed railway. He seems more concerned about opening NATO supply lines which is not his domain at all.