NAB approves reference against Agha Siraj Durrani

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approved filing of corruption reference against Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani for misuse of authority for accumulating assets beyond known source of income that caused a loss of Rs1.60 billion to the national exchequer.

Besides approving the filing of corruption reference against Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, the Executive Board of the NAB also signalled for holding inquiries against ex-Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani for misuse of authority, ex-ProvincialMinister KP Sher Azam and also other 10 inquiries.

The Executive Board of the NAB held its meeting on Wednesday under its Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal that approved holding of 12 inquiries and filing of three corruption references.

The Executive Board approved holding of 12 inquiries that include inquiry against ex-Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani, ex-Provincial Minister Sher Azam, ex-MPA Sindh Assembly Gulam Nizamani, MPA Sindh Assembly Saeed Khan Nizamani, ex-DG Malir Development Authority Karachi Muhammad Sohail, XEN MES Sialkot Mrs Asmatullah, officials of the Karachi Port Trust, officials of the Health Department of the Sindh government, members of the procurement committee and Manager Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme Sindh, officials of Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, administration of Food Department of Khuzdar of government of Balochistan, Chief Engineer Sukkur Ram Chand, Executive Engineer Abdul Wahab of Public Health Engineering Division, Larkana, government contractor Iqbal Sheikh.

The Executive Board approved the filing of three corruption references and the first corruption reference was approved against Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani for allegedly misusing authority for accumulating illegal assets beyond known source of income that caused a loss of Rs1.60 billion to the national exchequer. The Executive Board approved filing of corruption reference against ex-Director Lok Virsa Islamabad Mazharul Islam for misuse of authority to illegal award of contract to favorites that caused a loss of Rs30.13 million to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board approved filing of corruption reference against ex-Director Education Fata Fazal Manan and others allegedly for misuse of authority for illegal recruitment of teachers that caused a loss of Rs117.3 million to national exchequer.

The Executive Board approved the closing of inquiring against ex-Minister of Communication Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim, Anas Abdul Karim, Dr Najeeb Haider, ex-MPA Sindh Assembly from Thatta Ghulam Qadir Palejo, ex-Managing Director Port Qasim Authority Abdul Sattar Dero, officials of the Communications and Works Departments, M/s Mectech Private Ltd and others due to lack of evidence.

The Executive Board also closed investigations against owners/doctors of M/s AM Constructions Pvt Ltd, Faisalabad, officials of the Communications and Works Departments due to lack of evidence.

The Board also referred the inquiry against management and officials of Sargodha Capital Market to Chief Secretary Punjab and the inquiry against Chief Executive Officer QESCO and others to concerned departments as per law.

The spokesman of NAB said it was year-long policy of NAB to share details of the meeting of the Executive Board with the people.” The aim of policy was not to hurt anybody and media is requested to kindly avoid speculations in this regard,” the NAB spokesman said.

On the conclusion of meeting NAB Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that NAB is strictly pursuing the policy of ‘Accountability for All’ across the board as per law and NAB’s foremost policy is to take mega corruption cases to their logical conclusion in accordance with law.