NAB opens probe against ex-KP minister, others

ISLAMABAD: The ex-provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came under the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday as it opened the inquiry against KP former provincial minister for industries regarding unauthorised use of commercial and industrial plots worth millions of rupees and a probe against special assistant of erstwhile KP chief minister for assets beyond known sources.
The approval for launching the inquiries was given in a meeting of the NAB’s Executive Board. Chairman of NAB Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired the meeting at the NAB Headquarters.The Executive Board authorised inquiry against Syed Masoom Shah, special assistant to ex-chief minister KP and others.
In this case, the accused are alleged for corruption, corrupt practices and accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income.In a case against Syed Ahmed Hussain Shah, KP ex-minister for industries and commerce, officers/officials of SDA, Wapda/Pesco, SNGPL and others, the Board decided to re-authorise the inquiry. In this case, the accused persons are alleged for unauthorised use of industrial plots as commercial plots.
KP ex-minister for industries and commerce, Syed Ahmed Hussain Shah belongs to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) parliamentarians.The NAB Executive Board also gave approval to launch inquiry against former secretary Workers Welfare Board Balochistan, Mumtaz Ali Khan and CEO Kidney Centre Quetta, Dr Ameer Muhammad Khan Jogezai and others.
In this case, the accused persons are alleged for embezzlement in the procurement of medical equipment and misappropriation in the funds released for the Kidney Centre and caused Rs61 million loss to the national exchequer.
According to NAB, the Kidney Centre was turned non-functional but used as blood centre in Quetta.Meanwhile, there was another inquiry against Vice Chancellor Professor Khawaja Alqma and Registrar Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan (BZU), Malik Munir Hussain and others.
In this case, the accused, in connivance with each other, illegally opened BZU Lahore Campus without getting approval from the university syndicate and NOC from Higher Education Commission and misused authority. In the process, over Rs220 million funds were collected from the intending students.
In another case against authorities of Qesco and Pepco, the Board decided to inquire into the matter in detail and submit a report within two weeks.In this case, the accused are alleged for illegal appointments in Qesco, Quetta who were given job on the recommendation of ex-MD Pepco without conducting written tests and interviews.
The Board decided to close two inquiries which included inquiry against Mirza Sultan Mahmood Saleem, director NAB and inquiry against Muhammad Naseem, secretary P&D Department, Balochistan, due to lack of incriminating evidence.
The Executive Board also approved the application of Voluntary Return (VR) of Rs26 million by five accused in case of illegal award of lease of Sports Complex at University Town Peshawar, KP and ordered to initiate a departmental inquiry against the accused Zakiullah, the then acting secretary LG&RDD, Government of KP.
In his concluding remarks, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said that NAB was committed to eliminate corruption and corrupt practices from the country through good governance. He directed all the concerned divisions/wings of NAB that all the complaints, inquiries and investigations be conducted transparently in accordance with the law and on merit.