NAB officials summoned in BZU case

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and a deputy director of the bureau who investigated illegalities in the establishment of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan’s sub-campus in Lahore.

Heading a full bench, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi observed that students deposited heavy fee to the university but they did not get the recognised degrees. It was pathetic that the fraudsters were busy in defrauding public and the National Accountability Bureau did not rise from slumber, the judge added.

Earlier, BZU vice-chancellor presented complete record of the students studied at Lahore sub-campus. The HEC chairman stated before the court that a facilitation centre could be established at the office of University of Health Sciences in Lahore for the enrolment of students.

EOBI ex-chief granted bail: The Lahore High Court on Monday granted bail to Zafar Iqbal Gondal, former chairman of Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI), in one of the cases made against him on charges of corruption and misuse of authority.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi accepted bail petition of Gondal after lawyer of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) failed to justify prolonged custody of the suspect.

The agency’s counsel argued that the former chairman of Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution was accused of violating public procurement rules.

He said Gondal caused a huge loss to national exchequer in purchase of land. The lawyer of Gondal argued that there was no charge on his client about any personal gain in the purchase of the land for EOBI.

He said the court had already granted bail to the petition in two other identical cases. Justice Naqvi granted bail to Gondal subject to furnishing two bail bonds of Rs1 million each.

The Federal Investigation Agency had registered cases against Zafar Gondal alleging that he had violated Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution’s investment rules and public procurement rules to purchase lands in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi at exorbitant prices during the previous rule of Pakistan Peoples Party.