NAB approves inquiry against Punjab DG Anti-Corruption

ISLAMABAD: The war of words between the Punjab government and National Accountability Bureau with regard to non-cooperation of providing record of 56 companies of the Punjab government is going on as the Executive Board of the NAB launched an inquiry against director general Anti-Corruption Punjab on three counts of misuse of authority, creating hurdles in official task and non-provision of record to NAB under the law.

The Executive Board meeting was held with the chair of its Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal here Monday. Last Thursday, while addressing NAB Lahore at a seminar, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal complained that some departments of the Punjab government were not cooperating with NAB and warned that failure to cooperate with the anti-corruption officials would not be tolerated in future.

While in response, the Punjab government spokesman said there was no truth in the statement as all the departments of the Punjab government were fully cooperating with NAB. NAB responded to the Punjab government that the chairman of NAB took notice of non-provision of record by the Punjab government and asked it to provide record and abide by laws as non-provision of information/record to NAB which is conducting an inquiry of 56 public limited companies of Punjab was against the law and came under hampering the inquiry of NAB law. The NAB spokesman stated that the clarification of Punjab government therefore was not based on facts. “NAB has used all channels of communications for provision of record of 56 public limited companies of Punjab but still NAB has not received complete record,” he said.

In the meanwhile, the Executive Board of NAB launched an inquiry against Senator Rahila Magsi and her son Muhammad Moshin for suspicious transaction and this case was referred to NAB by the State Bank of Pakistan under Section 31-D of the NAB ordinance.

When contacted, Senator Rahila Magsi said she was not aware of any inquiry by the NAB against her or her son and was never asked by the NAB in this regard. She said that her London property was declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan. “I owned a flat in London, which was declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan and this flat is mortgaged and banking transaction made for the payments of installment of the mortgagedflat,” she said. She said her younger daughter study in the United States and sent her money for her studies there.

The NAB’s Executive Board has approved the inquiry against the officials of the Bank of Khyber for allegedly violating the rules and misuse of authority for making appointment over 1400 that caused a loss of Rs24 million to national exchequer.

Another inquiry against the officials of the Custom Collectorate Peshawar , bank officials, clearing agents Fata, and others for allegedly misusing of authority while violating the rules and regulation that caused a loss of over Rs24 billion to national exchequer.

The Executive Board of the NAB has approved the inquiry against ex-chairman CDA Farkhan Iqbal and other officials of the CDA allegedly for sale of the government plot at G-6 Civic Center, Islamabad on a peanuts price.

The NAB’s Executive Board also approved the inquiry against the officials of the Privatisation Commission of Pakistan for allegedly violating the PPRA rule for the privatisation of Pak-American Fertilizer Limited and Daudkhel Mianwali that caused a loss of Rs3.889 billion to national exchequer.

The inquiry against ex-chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Dr Manzoor Hussain and other officials of the Pakistan Science Foundation launched for allegedly misusing of authority, illegal appointments in the Pakistan Science Foundation and more than 20 foreign visits on the expenses of Pakistan Science Foundation that caused a loss in millions of rupees to the national kitty.

The Executive Board of the NAB approved an inquiry against the officials of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Islamabad for misusing the authority for making over 200 illegal appointments in violations of rules that caused a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

Another inquiry was approved against the administration of the Nepra, Ministry of Energy (Power Division), M/s Blue Star Hydel Private Ltd, M/s Buksh Solars Private Ltd, M/s Saif Solars Private Ltd, M/s Lucky Electric Power Company, M/s Sadkey Sons Energy Ltd and others for allegedly made changes in tariff of Solar Power Plants in violation of rules that caused a loss of Rs200 billion annually to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board has approved the inquiry against the ex-director general Sindh Building Control Authority Manzoor Qadir for misusing of authority for illegally changed the public welfare plots into the commercial plots that caused a loss of Rs500 million to national exchequer.

The investigation approved against the ex-vice chancellor of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Dr Ihsan Ali for assets beyond known means.

The NAB’s Executive Board approved an inquiry against Dr Akram Ch VC Sargodha University for illegal appointments thus causing loss to national kitty. The board also approved inquiry against Inspector FIA Adnan Lohani, former senator Abdul Razaq and Chief Executive M/s Malik Exchange Private Ltd. Kamran Khan for abusing their power, taking bribe and on money laundering.

The Executive Board meeting also approved investigation against Talat Mehmood, Nouman Nawaz, Ijaz Ahmed, Raja Kamran and others who allegedly involved in corruption worth 3.14 million rupees.

The board asked the anti-graft watchdog to kick off inquiry against owners and developers of Al-Khair Housing Society for looting huge amount from masses.

The board also ordered inquiry into mega corruption in ‘Land Utilization Department Sindh’ which caused loss to national exchequer.

The board approved corruption investigation against Arif Ali Shah Bukhari, KASB Noor Developers Pvt Ltd. former director/former administration BIPL and Structured Venture Pvt Ltd. who caused Rs375 million loss to national exchequer.

The board approved investigation against former director general KDA Syed Nasir Abbas and others for changing status of Public welfare plots into commercial land which caused loss of Rs354 million to national kitty.

The board also ordered inquiry against former chairman SPSC Muhammad Hassan Bhutto and others for abusing their powers and making illegal appointments. The board approved investigations against top officials of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan for irregularity in students’ funds which caused Rs1.176 billion loss to national kitty.

The board approved investigations against administration of Jinnah Medical College Peshawar for irregularity.

Executive Board meeting also approved investigation against former vice chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Customs Collectorate Peshawar, officials of Bank of Khyber Peshawar, Chairman District Council Qilla Abdullah, former chairman Quetta Development Authority and Director General Anti-Corruption Punjab for abusing their powers, irregularities and corruption which caused loss of millions rupees to national exchequer.