Illegal tree felling: NAB arrests former minister’s brother

NAB had filed a reference against Qaumi Watan Party MPA Ibrar Hussain Tanoli’s brother Fareedon Khan

MANSEHRA: Officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided the house of a former provincial minister on Friday with the police. They arrested his brother for being allegedly involved in tree felling in Mansehra. According to a police official, NAB had filed a reference against Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) MPA Ibrar Hussain Tanoli’s brother Fareedon Khan during the previous government’s tenure for felling trees. During an enquiry, NAB had found him guilty of causing a loss of Rs30 million by sawing over 2,000 trees. His arrest was reportedly delayed at the time and the issue did not come up when his brother was made the Minister for Forests and Environment in the present government. It seems NAB has swung into action after QWP parted ways with the provincial government over charges of corruption by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said the official.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2014.