Corruption, irregularities: NAB to initiate inquiry against former federal, provincial ministers

Board authorises five inquiries, four complaint verifications and two investigations

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has authorised the initiation of inquiries, complaint verifications and investigations against 11 persons, including a former federal minister, a Sindh education minister, and former senior civil aviation officials.

The decisions were taken at the bureau’s executive board meeting presided over by NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry here on Wednesday.

The board authorised an inquiry against Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, former federal minister for communications, and his wife, former MNA Asma Alamgir, for allegedly accumulating assets beyond their known sources of income.

The bureau also authorised another inquiry against former Sindh minister for education Pir Mazharul Haq and others over illegal appointments of 13,000 teachers, causing an estimated loss of Rs4 billion to Rs6 billion to the national exchequer.

An inquiry will be initiated against former Balochistan excise and taxation minister Muhammad Amin Umrani for accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.

Inquiry will also be launched against former minister and chairman of Quetta Development Authority, Muhammad Ismail Gujjar, who faces charges of transferring government land illegally.

The board also authorised an inquiry against Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmed and others for alleged misuse of authority and embezzlement of funds.

The board allowed verification of complaint against former Sindh minister for usher and zakat, Dost Muhammad, for his alleged involvement in corruption and accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.

The bureau also authorised verification of a complaint against former Sindh minister Dr Abdul Sattar Rajper for accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.

Another complaint verification was allowed against officers and officials of Punjab University, for surrendering university land without any lawful authority.

The board also authorised the verification of a complaint against officers and officials of the Ministry of Food Security and Research, for their alleged involvement in corruption and corrupt practices.

The executive board authorised investigation against former managing director of PEPCO Tahir Basharat Cheema and former CEO of GEPCO, Ibrahim Majoka, for their role in illegal appointments of 437 employees in GEPCO.

An investigation was also approved against officers and officials of the Sindh Public Service Commission for misuse of authority and illegal appointments of gazetted officers through CCE-2003/04.

The meeting also re-authorised an inquiry against Air Commodore (retd) Muhammad Junaid Ameen, former Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Sajid Habib, former Deputy DG, Air Commodore (retd) Javed Khan, former director technical, Air Commodore (retd) Khalid Alauddin Khan, former director technical, and others for their alleged involvement in irregular procurement without preparation and approval of PC-I and II, and awarding of contracts through repeat orders without tendering, causing a loss of Rs2.6 billion to the national exchequer.

The meeting also approved the voluntary return application of private contractors of Rs17.371 million.

The board also authorised investigation against officers and officials of the National Highway Authority, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, for misuse of authority and causing a loss to the national exchequer.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2015.