NAB approves closure of probes against Elahi

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Thursday approved the closure of investigations against Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi due to lack of incriminating evidence as per law.

The Executive Board of the NAB held its meeting with the chair of NAB Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal here Thursday in which it approved filing of 7 new corruption references, 6 investigation and 3 inquiries.

The Board approved the filing of corruption reference against ex-provincial ministers of Balochistan Rehmat Ali, Mir Muhamamd Sadiq Imrani and other bureaucrat of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Besides filing of seven corruption references, the Executive Board accorded approval of 6 investigations including against ex-MNA Sardar Ashiq Hussain Gopang, former acting Inspector General (IG), Sindh Ghulam Shabbir Sheikh and others.

The Executive Board of the NAB authorised filing of seven references which included a reference against Rehmat Ali, former Health Minister, Balochistan on the allegations of abuse of authority, awarding illegal contracts, illegal appointments and accumulating assets beyond means. The Board authorised filing of another corruption reference against Mir Muhammad Sadiq Imrani, former minister Balochistan on the allegation of devouring five acre land of All Pakistan Clerk Association illegally, which caused Rs280.26 million losses to national exchequer.

The NAB’s Board authorised filing corruption reference against Maqbool Ahmed, former Secretary Mines and Minerals Development Department, Balochistan. He has been accused of awarding contract to his favourite company by reducing the reserve price to Rs21 million from Rs32.15 million, thus inflicting Rs11 million losses to national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board accorded approval of filing corruption reference against Nisarullah Khan, former district officer, District Bannu, former district officer FC, Bannu and others due to their involvement in awarding illegal agreement of FC’s land in district Bannu and Tank, which caused Rs160.27 million losses to national exchequer.

It also authorised filing corruption reference against Sher Zaman Khan, former deputy project director, Muhammad Jahangir Khan, project director, Pat Feeder Canal Extension project, Abdul Hameed Mengal, former deputy project director, Muhammad Jahangir Khan, Project Director, Abdul Jabbar, former assistant engineer, Sardar Khan Soomro, former assistant engineer, Muhammad Abrahim Rind, former chief resident engineer, National Development Consultants, Lahore, and others.

They have been accused of illegally approving escalation charges in the funds of Pat Federal Canal project extension in connivance with the contractor which inflicted Rs597.741

million losses to national exchequer.

The Board authorised filing corruption reference against Arshad Ahmed Khan, former district health officer, Nowshera, Dr Abuzar, District Officer, Prevention, Dr Mujtaba Ali, former coordinator EPI on the their involvement in 127 illegal appointments in different hospitals of district Nowshera, which incurred heavy losses to national exchequer.

The NABs Executive Board accorded approval of filing corruption reference against Mara Jan, former manager Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan, Gilgit, Qalab Ali, former chairman District Council Gilgit, on transferring the commission amount of lending Rs5.72 million loan in his personal account through a cheque, which inflicted Rs7.78 million losses to national exchequer.