NAB summons KP CM in Malam Jabba lease case

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on December 17 in the case of the ‘illegal’ award of lease of state forest land in Malam Jabba in Swat.

An official confirmed to The News that the NAB KP has summoned the Chief Minister next Monday through a call-up notice. He was asked to appear before the joint investigation team of the NAB.

The NAB KP issued notice to the chief minister in the Malam Jabba land lease case following the direction of the NAB chairman.

The official said the chief minister would be questioned for his alleged involvement in the illegal lease. He added that the lease materialised at the time when Mahmood Khan was the provincial minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Tourism in the previous PTI-led provincial government.

The NAB KP has also issued call up notices to the Senior Minister for Youth Affairs, Culture and Tourism Muhammad Atif Khan and the PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz for their alleged involvement in the leasing of land at the Malam Jabba summer resort to a private company.

The official that said the NAB had summoned Muhammad Atif Khan and Senator Mohsin Aziz on December 14 as part of the investigation in the case.

The official also informed that the NAB investigation is under process over the allegations of illegal lease of 275 acres of state forest Land in Malam Jabba, district Swat to M/S Samsons Group.

It is to be mentioned that the anti-graft body had already recorded statements of federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan.