NAB approves corruption references against ex-chairman Pakistan Steel Mills

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau Thursday approved the filing of corruption references against former chairman, Pakistan Steel Mills Moin Aftab Sheikh and former secretary land utilization, Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Phal.

The Executive Board meeting was held at the NAB headquarters and presided over by Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, which granted approval for filing four references, 12 inquiries and five investigations. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, Prosecutor General Accountability, DG Operations NAB, DG NAB, Rawalpindi and other senior officers.

The Executive Board of the NAB authorized filing four references against former secretary land utilization, Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Phal and others for allegedly illegally allotting state land in district Malir by abusing authority that caused Rs12 billion losses to national exchequer. It also gave assent to filing corruption reference against Saqib Soomro and others for illegally allotting state land by abusing their authority that inflicted Rs1.5 billion losses to national exchequer. It also authorized filing supplementary corruption reference against former chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Moin Aftab Sheikh for inflicting Rs434.468 million losses through corrupt practices and abuse of authority.

The forum also approved filing other references against former MD PEPCO Rasool Khan Mehsood and others for causing heavy losses to the public exchequer by abusing authority.

The NAB Executive Board also authorized as many as 12 inquiries against various personalities including Vice Chancellor, Mehan University of Engineering and Science and Technology, Jamshoro. Dr Muhammad Aslam Aqili , officials/officers of Labour Department, Sindh, Messrs Sky Rooms Limited Company, others, Messrs Lucky Cement, officials/officers of Land Utilisation Department, former chief commissioner Income Tax, Hyderabad, Muhammad Ali Sand and others, chairmen Sindh Public Service Commission Noor Muhammad Jadmani, member Sindh Public Service Commission Ejaz Ali Khan Durrani, others, Acting VC, Sindh University Campus, Badin, Professor Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro and others, chief engineer South, PWD, Divisional Accounts officer Ikram ul Haq, Divisional Accounts officer Zafar Iqbal, Xen, Pak PWD, Karachi Siraj Nizam, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani, officers and officials of Board of Revenue, Karachi and others, former PS to former governor Sindh, Mumtazur Rehman, officers and officials of Sindh Building Control Authority and others, director Schools Education, Karachi, Abdul Wahab Abbasi and others for conducting inquiry against them.

The NAB’s Executive Board also approved conducting five investigations against several accused including officers and officials of Sindh Coal Authority, Messrs Pak Oasis and others, Syed Nusrat Shaukat and others. Three investigations were also approved against Superintendent Engineer, RBOD, Circle, Hyderabad Imran Sheikh, officers and officials of Irrigation Department and others.

The Board also approved wrapping up inquiries against owners and managers of Krack Merina Project, Karachi and others, former chairman NICL and others, officers and officials of SBCA Master Plan Department Sindh, Messrs Haba Builders, Karachi and others due to absence of evidence. It also approved transferring investigations against officers and officials and others of Customs Karachi to FBR after completion of plea bargain deal.