Kohistan mega scandal Azam Swati fails to appear before NAB

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Senator Azam Swati did not appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday in connection with the Rs. 40 billion Kohistan mega corruption scandal. Instead, his lawyer represented him before the bureau.

NAB KP had summoned Azam Swati to appear on Monday, but his lawyer requested a one-week extension. However, NAB sources said the bureau refused to grant additional time and instructed that Azam Swati must appear in person as soon as possible. NAB will now issue a second notice for his appearance.

Swati has been accused of receiving Rs. 600 million in transactions during 2024 from suspects involved in the Kohistan scandal, allegedly deposited into his bank accounts.

According to sources, one of the companies allegedly involved in the scam is accused of siphoning off large sums, causing significant losses to the national exchequer. During 2024, the company allegedly transferred substantial amounts into Swati’s bank accounts.

Investigations revealed that a property, valued at Rs250 million, was sold for Rs600 million. Documents suggest the property was sold in 2024, but the ownership transfer was allegedly backdated to 2016. Furthermore, there is no record of any tax payments to the government regarding the transaction, indicating possible forgery.

According to sources close to Swati, he sold his property located in Habib Colony, Mansehra, and received the payment for it. The transfer and sale documents are reportedly available. His associates claim he has no connection with the source of funds used by the buyer and reject the allegations as baseless. They allege that a false propaganda campaign is being run against him.