Court says: NAB’s reference has no sequence effect on six other accused

Four people accused by NAB of being involved in a multi-billion-rupee weapons purchase scam have been summoned.

PESHAWAR: Four out of 10 people accused by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of being involved in a multi-billion-rupee weapons purchase scam have been summoned in court on November 29 to frame charges.

According to an order issued by accountability court judge Muhammad Ibrahim, former IGP Malik Naveed, former CM’s brother Ghazan Hoti, budget officer Javed Khan and Raza Ali Khan have been summoned to hear the charges filed against them in order to proceed with a hearing.

However, six other former and serving high-ranking officials also accused of the misappropriation have not been summoned; the court has termed NAB’s reference against them as “having no sequence effect” and “inactive.”



These officials are former commandant Frontier Constabulary Abdul Majeed Khan, former additional IGP Operations Abdul Latif Khan, DIG Central Police Office Sajid Ali Khan, former DIG headquarters Muhammad Suleman Khan, the then AIG Establishment CPO Kashif Alam and former DIG Telecommunication Sadiq Kamal Orakzai.

As per the court’s order, the case will be heard for four accused but not the remaining six accused.

“There is no need left to comment upon the application of one of the accused, Kashif Alam, who on his own has offered to be heard in the matter which has already been discussed in detail,” states the court’s order, adding  his application is out of consideration.

The order further states, “The chairman NAB is also at liberty that as and when he feels comfortable to act in a fair, just and equitable manner and forward solid and convincing reason for unarrested position of each accused. The court then satisfied, will summon them accordingly to face the charges at any stage.”

The order directed Malik Naveed, Ghazan Hoti, Javed Khan and Raza Ali Khan to appear in court on Saturday to hear the charges against them.

The issue of summoning six accused officials has been doing the rounds in court. On September 11, the Peshawar High Court dismissed a petition filed by NAB asking the high court to direct the accountability court to summon them. In an earlier order, the accountability court had refused to do so saying “their status is neither highlighted nor defined as the reference is mum in this behalf.”

NAB has filed a corruption reference worth Rs2.03 billion alleging that out of a Rs7 billion contract for purchasing weapons and other equipment for the police department in 2008-10, these ten officials embezzled a little over Rs2 billion. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2014.