NAB launches new probe against Amir Muqam

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday approved the closure of inquiry against Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar and officials of Pak-PWD due to lack of evidence.

While the Executive Board of the NAB ordered a fresh inquiry against President PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Amir Muqam. The Executive Board of the NAB held its meeting under Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, Prosecutor General Accountability, Director General Operations NAB and other senior officers, in which approval was given to file corruption references, nine inquiries and three investigations.

Besides closing the inquiry against Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, the Executive Board of the NAB also closed the inquiry against former Minister for Petroleum Amanullah Khan Jadoon. The Executive Board of the NAB authorised filing a reference against Ehsanullah Mehsud, former senior member Board of Revenue, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the accusations of allegedly allotting 1,976 Kanal state land in Dera Ismail Khan by abuse of power, which caused heavy losses to the national exchequer.

The NAB’s Executive Board okayed filing another reference against Maqbool Ahmed Lehri, former district Nazim, Dr Kalimullah, former Mayor Metropolitan Corporation, Quetta, and others. The suspects have been allegedly involved in doling out 5,292 square feet state land on lease on much cheaper rates illegally by abusing authority thus inflicting Rs529 million losses to the national exchequer.

It authorized filing a corruption reference against Mir Muhammad Amin Umrani, former provincial minister Excise and Taxation, Government of Balochistan, and others on the accusations of amassing the assets totally unmatched to their known sources of income obviously by abusing the authority.

The EBM accorded approval of conducting nine inquiries against various personalities including against Dr Naveed, Director General Agriculture Research, Tariq Mehmood, Administrative officer and others, officers and officials of Ministry of Housing and Works, Pakistan Works Department and others, Mumtaz Khan, former Conservatvor Forest and others, Nasir Khan, former Member National Assembly (MNA), Shahab Khattak, Secretary C&DW Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and others, Muhammad Naseem, Managing Director, Nasir Ghafoor, General Manager, Aliur Rehman, Zonal Manager, WSSP and others, officers, officials of Revenue department, Gwadar, Ghulam Hussain Jaffar and others, chairman Township Housing Scheme district Khuzdar, and inquiry against Amir Muqam, former Adviser to the Prime Minister.

The forum okayed three investigations which includes an inquiry against management of Health Department, Quetta, and others, Abdur Razzaq Durrani, former Director General Gwadar Port Authority and officers and officials. Investigation has been authorised against officials of Revenue Department, Gwadar, and others.

The Executive Board of the NAB authorized to close inquiries against officers and officials of NHA (National Highway Authority), Captain (retd) Safdar Awan, former MNA, officers, officials of Pak PWD and others, Muhammad Arsila Khan and others, Dr Mujeebur Rehman, former DIG and others, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, former petroleum minister and others, closing investigations against officers and officials of Galiyat Development Authority due to the absence of proof as per law.

The NAB’s Executive Board authorized transfer of inquiry against officers and officials and others of Civil Aviation Authority to Director General Civil Aviation Authority for further proceedings.

The forum authorized transfer of three inquiries against the officers and officials of NTDC to NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) for further action as per law.

Speaking in the meeting, Chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said NAB is working to take various scams, including sugar, flour, Ring Road, money laundering, fake account, abuse of authority, assets beyond means, illegal housing societies and Modarba scams to logical conclusion.

He said eradication of corruption and achieving the target of corruption-free Pakistan is the foremost priority of bureau. “The NAB is pursuing the policy of accountability for all,” he said. He said the NAB is a national institute of corruption eradication and it has no affiliation with any political party but with Pakistan.

Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said the detractors of NAB should go through the NAB ordinance and evaluate the past three years performance of bureau. The accused should better defend their cases instead of assaulting the bureau. The chairman said NAB was making sincere efforts to recover looted amount from fake housing societies. The bureau has asked the media to get the version of NAB before publishing or airing news about the bureau.