Saad Rafiq, Sher Ali to face NAB inquiries

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approved the fresh inquiry against former minister for Railways and senior leader of the PMLN Khawaja Saad Rafiq in locomotive case besides senior officials of the Railway Ministry.

The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) of the NAB was held at NAB Headquarters on Saturday with the chair of its Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal and was attended by NAB Deputy Chairman Hussain Asghar, Prosecutor General Accountability Syed Asghar Haider, Director General Operations NAB Zahir Shah and other senior officers of NAB.

The EBM of the NAB also approved the inquiry against the former director general anti-corruption, Punjab Muzaffar Ali Ranjha allegedly for misusing of authority and against former mayor Faisalabad and MNA Chaudhry Sher Ali.

The NAB’s Executive Board also approved the some investigations. The EBM also accorded approval of filing 10 inquiries against various other personalities including former DCO Faisalabad Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, officers/officials of Punjab Highway, Citi District Government, Faisalabad, ZKB Reliable, former deputy commissioner, Faisalabad, Muhammad Amin Chaudhry, Mian Anjum, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Suleman, Imran Sher Ali, officers/ officials and others of FDA, officers/officials of Khawaja Farid University, Rahimyar Khan, officers of Punjab Education Foundation, Vehari, officers/ officials, Secretary Excise and Taxation, Rahimyar Khan, management/others of United Ethanol Industries Sadiqabad, officials/officers, others of C and D Department, officers/ officials/others of Live Stock Department, Multan, MNA Mehr Irshad Ahmed Khan and others.

The Executive Board of the NAB authorised transferring inquiries against former Tehsil Nazim, Muhammad Yasin, Ghazala Shaheen daughter of Muhammad Yasin, former MPA, Ghulam Murtaza, Azam Sohail and others to FBR and FIA for further proceedings.

The EBM okayed sending inquiries against retired medical superintendent DHQ, Bahawalpur, Hafiz Muhammad Tariq Javed and others to Anti-Corruption Department Punjab for further proceedings.

The EBM of the NAB authorised closing inquiries against MPA Punjab Sohail Zafar, former Town Nazim Gujranwala Rizwan Zafar and others, MPA Malik Ghazanfar Abbas Cheema, Muhammad Sher Cheema, officials/officers of Punjab Revenue Department owing to the absence of evidence.

The EBM authorised sending inquiries against retired judge Multan Nazir Ahmed Langah and others and Advocate High Court Hafiz Allah Ditta Kashif to the Registrar, Lahore High Court.

The EBM approved sending ongoing inquiries against former MPA Punjab Muhammad Islam Aslam, officers/officials of Cholistan Development Authority to senior member Board of Revenue Punjab.

While speaking in the EBM, the chairman said that taking white collar mega corruption cases to logical conclusion and achieving the target of corruption free Pakistan is the priority of bureau.

He said the NAB is pursuing accountability for all policy as per law. “The NAB is an anti-corruption institution and has recovered Rs323 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements in the year 2020 while it has recovered Rs814 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements since inception.

Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said the NAB was taking mega corruption scams including sugar, flour, money laundering, fake accounts, abuse of authority, assets beyond means, and fake housing society scams to logical conclusion.

He said the performance of NAB has been lauded by reputed national and international institutions including Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, Global Peace Canada, PILDAT, and Mishaal Pakistan. He said NAB and corruption can’t go together.