Case closed : Ehtesab Commission hands over AWKUM enquiry to NAB

Division bench disposes of varsity’s petition.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court disposed of a petition filed by Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan on Thursday against an enquiry being conducted by the Ehtesab Commission.

The court was informed that the commission had handed over all documents related to the enquiry on appointments and alleged corruption at the varsity to National Accountability Bureau.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Irshad Qaiser consequently disposed of the petition.

AWKUM Legal Cell In-charge Mian Saleem and Treasurer Muhammad Tariq appeared before the court during the hearing.

Deputy Prosecutor General Zahid Aman informed the court that all documents required for the enquiry were handed over to NAB and the commission is no longer conducting the investigation.

After receiving several complaints, NAB launched an enquiry against the university for questionable appointments and construction projects. In the meantime, the commission also started an enquiry in the case and several notices were issued to the varsity on different dates. The commission asked the university administration to provide information on appointments between 2010 and 2014 and some construction projects.

The university subsequently approached the high court, contending that if a federal agency was conducting the enquiry, a provincial body does not have the authority to start another one.

NAB said it was conducting an enquiry on irregularities in appointments to over 1,300 posts since AWKUM’s creation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th,  2015.