NAB action in Punjab: PML-N leaders to bear brunt of investigations

Bureau approves probe against MNA, ex-ministers, former auditor general.

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has gathered all records of Punjab minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan of the ruling party, and the inquiry findings on him and two other ministers will decide the bureau’s further course of action.

NAB Punjab Director General Maj (retd) Syed Burhan Ali confirmed that cases against two important members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been initiated, but he refused to disclose their names. “Complaints against more parliamentarians have also been received.”

Ali said the bureau has also contacted the Lahore High Court for the physical remand of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Qasim Zia so that the public’s money could be returned.

He said Zia’s application in which he offered to return the money has been forwarded to the headquarters.

He also said the NAB has received many complaints against the Lahore Development Authority scheme, adding that the bureau is reviewing the applications.

Speaking at the NAB office as he handed over cheques of Rs13 million to the victims of Sibtul Shah, alias Double Shah, and Karmanwala Society, the provincial NAB chief said people should stay away from Shah because he has started operating again after he was released from jail.

Ali said Shah’s properties worth Rs1.5 billion will be auctioned and the money will soon be distributed among the victims.

He said that the bureau will not indulge in any blame game and that action will be taken wherever there is corruption. “Very soon proceedings will start against two key office-bearers of the PML-N.”

The NAB chief said the bureau is making efforts to get the people their due rights. He advised people to be sensible and avoid chasing unrealistic profits.

He said legal action against former Evacuee Trust Board chairman Asif Hashmi is getting closer with every passing day.

Responding to a question, he said the NAB Rawalpindi is investigating corruption allegations and other complaints against the Nandipur power project, adding that the bureau will inform the public about the findings once the inquiry is complete.

More inquiries

The NAB has also decided to initiate inquiries against PML-N MNA Iftikharul Hassan, former provincial ministers Ali Nawaz Shah and Zaheerudin, former auditor general Buland Akhtar Rana and many other government officials and politicians.

A meeting of the NAB executive board, presided over by Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, decided to file references against many government officials and politicians for causing losses of Rs1.84 billion to the national exchequer.

Those against whom inquiries will be initiated also include former Hyderabad Railway Employees Cooperative Housing Society (HRECHS) chairman Matloob Ahmed Khan, former Sindh Cooperative Society managing director Naveed Zarar Khan, former HRECHS administrator Abdul Sattar Leghari, Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) DG Ghulam Muhammad Khan Qaimkhani, HDA Director Iqbal Memon and HDA Deputy Director Shahid Pervaiz Memon.

The executive board also decided to look into the complaints of misuse of authority against MNA Iftikharul Hassan, Sarfaraz Shah, former Sindh agriculture minister Ali Nawaz Shah and DG Agha Zafarullah Durrani, as well as verify that former Punjab minister Zaheerudin, former Faisalabad town nazim Akhtar Ali and the officers of the Ministry of Industries & Production inflicted losses of Rs3 billion to the national exchequer.

The meeting also decided to initiate five inquiries against former auditor general Buland Akhtar Rana, former Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Iqbal, former Competition Commission acting chairman Dr Joseph Wilson and officials of the ministries of industries and trade.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2015.