KPEC files another Rs1.34 billion reference against Ziaullah Afridi

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) has filed the fourth reference of Rs1.34 billion against former Mines and Mineral provincial minister, Ziaullah Afridi, in Ehtesab court about his involvement in illegal mining of Tangi Chromite.

As per the official communiqué issued here, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission claimed that it had filed the fourth reference of illegal mining of Tangi Chromite case against Ziuallah Afridi and other high-ups of the department in the Ehtesab Court.

The names of other officials involved in the case have not been disclosed in the release.It stated that Tangi Chromite was precious mines and the former minister with connivance of other officials caused a loss of Rs1.34 billion to the provincial exchequer.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission requested the Ehtesab Court to award severe punishment to the accused in the case and recover the money from him to be submitted in the exchequer.

Earlier, the KPEC had filed three references against the former provincial minister and other officials including Director General Mines and Minerals Department Dr Liaqat Ali and others including the Charsadda Chromite case, Sahara Phosphate case and illegal recruitments.

Ziaullah Afridi was arrested on July 9, 2015 on the charges of carrying out illegal appointments, posting and transfer and facilitating illegal mining in different parts of the province. Since then he has been in judicial custody of the Ehtesab Commission.

On April 12, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) disposed of a writ petition of former provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi with a direction to the KPEC to first file all the references against the petitioner within a specified time and then merge them into one as per the fresh amendments to the KPEC Act.