NAB suspends arrests for now

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday announced not to make any arrests of politicians contesting the general elections until July 25.

The NAB, while announcing that it has nothing to with the elections, deferred the inquires against the former foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, former minister of state for finance Rana Muhammad Afzal, Punjab minister Rana Mashhood and former MNA Rai Mansab Ali Khan till July 25 and decided that no politician who was contesting the election will be arrested.

After the meeting of the NAB Executive Board, which was held with Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal in the chair here at the NAB headquarters, NAB’s official announcement stated that it has examined the cases in detail of the former foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, former minister of state for finance Rana Muhammad Afzal, Punjab minister Rana Mashhood and former MNA Rai Mansab Ali Khan and decided to defer it till July 25 so that they could participate in the elections and the inquiries against them would be started after the elections.

The NAB in its announcement stated that the decision was taken on the basis that it had nothing to do with politics or elections and the investigations of deferred cases would be carried out after July 25.

The Lahore NAB on June 26 arrested PML-N ticket holder Qamarul Islam from NA-59 Rawalpindi-III in connection with Punjab Saaf Pani Company corruption case and the arrest came a day after the PML-N fielded Islam against disgruntled PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the NA-59 constituency.

The over-ambitious project of the previous government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa also comes under the radar of NAB as its Executive Board has given approval for conducting an inquiry against officials of the KP government in mega scam of ‘Billion Trees Tsunami’ in which embezzlement of funds was alleged that caused a loss of over Rs19 billion to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board has also approved filing of a corruption reference against the ex-director general Punjab Land Development Company Ahad Cheema, Shahid Shafiq, Chief Executive Officer of Bismallah Engineering Alam Faridi, the owners and administration of Lahore KASA Developers, officials of the Lahore Development Authority and others allegedly for corruption and misuse of authority that caused a loss of over Rs660 million to the national exchequer.

The NAB Executive Board has approved an inquiry against the administration of the Punjab Sports Board and Youth Festival allegedly for corruption and misuse of authority that caused a loss of Rs1.7 billion to the national exchequer.

The NAB Executive Board approved the filing of a corruption reference against Sindh ex-inspector general of police Ghulam Haider Jamali and others for alleged corruption and misuse of authority that caused a loss of Rs162.5 million to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board approved the investigation against the administration of the State Bank Staff Cooperative Housing Society and officials of the Revenue Department, Karachi, allegedly for establishing the State Bank Staff Cooperative Housing Society on government land illegally that caused loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

The NAB Executive Board approved an inquiry against the officials and employees of the Sindh Social Relief Fund allegedly for embezzlement in funds that caused a loss of Rs13.402 billion to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board has also approved another inquiry against the Programme Manager of HIV/AiDs Control Programme of Health Department of Sindh Dr Muhammad Younas Chachar and others allegedly for misuse of authority and embezzlement in government funds that caused a loss of Rs35.236 million to the national exchequer.

Another inquiry was approved against the secretary of Health Department of provincial government of Sindh and others allegedly for misuse of authority, embezzlement in the contracts of Health Department and Education Department that caused a loss of Rs976 million to the national exchequer.

The Executive Board has decided to send a case of Fata Development Authority chief executive to the KP chief secretary so that he could examine and inquire the issue of 444 illegal appointments.

The NAB’s Executive Board approved an inquiry against the officials of the KP Health Department allegedly for corruption and illegally awarding of contracts to favorites, misuse of authority that caused a loss of Rs90 million to national exchequer.