Nabbing culprits: NAB files reference against former PM

Raja Pervez Ashraf and other ex-senior officials accused of corruption

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday decided to file reference against a former Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf and his accomplices for alleged corruption in Rental Power Projects.

The executive board of NAB also decided to implicate then secretary ministry of water and power Shahid Rafi, former chairman PEPCO Ismail Qureshi, and two former managing directors of PEPCO Munawar Baseer and Tahir Basharat Cheema in the case involving billions of rupees.

“In this case, the accused persons were alleged for misuse of authority, corruption and corrupt practices by conducting illegal/unauthorised International Competitive Bidding in violation of NEPRA Act, illegal award of contract for extending financial benefits to sponsors, illegal/unauthorised changes in terms of contract through revision of Letter of Award, in violation of advertised criteria” said an official handout issued by the corruption watchdog.

NAB has decided to conduct inquiry against former chief minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Amir Haider Khan Hoti. He is accused of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income during his tenure as chief minister.

The board meeting chaired by chairman NAB Qamar Zaman Chaudhary, also approved a reference against Zahoor Khattak, a former chief controller purchase, Pakistan Railway.

Other former employees are also under investigation. These former employees of Pakistan Railways are accused of awarding procurement contract worth Rs500 million tons of ‘pig iron’ in violation of Public Procurement Rules, 2004.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2015.