PTI leader’s remand extended

LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday extended physical remand of PTI leader Sibtain Khan by July 3 in a case of awarding an illegal mining contract in 2007. The NAB produced him before the court and requested the court to extend his remand to carry out further investigation in the case.

The court after accepting the NAB’s plea extended physical remand of the accused by July 3.

Sibtain Khan before his arrest was serving as minister for forestry, fisheries and wildlife. However, he had resigned from his office after his arrest.

He was arrested on charges of illegally awarding a multi-billion-dollar contract to an alleged fake company in 2007. As a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) minister for mines and minerals at that time, he had awarded a contract for extracting minerals in Chiniot district.

The NAB said in initial findings that the ERPL had no previous experience of mining, even then the minister awarded contract to it. During the probe, it was revealed that no other firm was invited to the bidding process.

The Mines Department was only 20 per cent shareholder under the agreement which made the joint venture totally illegal. Moreover, the accused never shared details of the agreement and project with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and kept on running the project, NAB added.

The NAB said Sibtain Khan awarded a billion-dollar project to a firm which had a market value of just Rs2.5 million.