NAB approves probe against Khuhro, Jatoi, Khuda Bukhsh

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday approved investigations against former speaker of Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro and an inquiry against former federal minister Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi and former federal minister Khuda Bukhsh besides former MPAs of Sindh and officials of the Sindh government.

The Executive Board of the NAB also approved inquiries against Sohail Mansoor, Rehan Mansoor Khwaja, (alleged front man of Babar Ghori, former federal minister). The NAB Executive Board approved holding an inquiry against subsidy to 19 sugar mills. A meeting of the NAB Executive Board was held at NAB the Headquarters chaired by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal and was attended by Deputy Chairman NAB Hussain Asghar, Prosecutor General Accountability Syed Hussain Asghar, Director General Operations Zahir Shah and other senior officers. The meeting gave approval for one corruption reference, 16 inquiries and two investigations.

The meeting authorized conducting a corruption reference against Muhammad Ramazan Sehato and others on the accusation of 95 alleged illegal recruitments in the Education and Literacy Department, Naushero Feroze, Sindh, by abusing the authority, which caused Rs 160 million loss to the national exchequer. The meeting authorized conducting 16 inquiries against various personalities including Ghulam Martaza Jatoi, officials of Sports, Works Department and others. The persons against who inquiries were approved included Haji Khan Umrani, Abdul Jabbar Yousafzai and others, Khuda Bukhsh Nizamani, Khuda Bukhsh Rajar, officials of Board of Revenue, Malir, Karachi, and others, Peetam Dam, officials of Department of Law, Government of Sindh, Sohail Mansoor, Rehan Mansoor Khwaja and others, Hassan Ali Sharif (alleged front man of Mukesh Kumar Chawla), Waheed Sheikh, Sadia Fatima Sikandar, Usman Sikandar, Iram Fatima Sikandar, Khalilur Rehman and others, officials of Revenue Department, Gothabad Scheme, Malir, Karachi; Management of Larkana Model Town Housing Scheme and Gulshan Mustafa Scheme and others; officials of Mineral and Revenue Department, Sindh and others; consultants AA Associates; Sardar Ashraf D Baloch, Yousaf Ali, Mukesh Kumar, Ayaz Memon, Riaz Ahmed Sehato.

The meeting authorized conducting two investigations against Nisar Ahmed Khuro, officials of Sindh Food Department and others; while investigations were also okayed against Syed Muzammil Shah and others. The meeting authorized transferring inquiries against Munir Ahmed, Naeem Khan, Sanam and Sindh Development Organisation and others to the Interior Ministry. The meeting authorized closing the ongoing inquiries against Abdul Jabbar Shahani owing to absence of evidence. The forum authorized closing investigations against Abdul Karim Soomro, MPA, Sindh, and others; officials of Civil Aviation Authority; JS Bank and others, owners of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Sugar Mills and its directors due to non-availability of evidence.

Speaking on the occasion, Javed Iqbal said the bureau is striving to take mega corruption cases to their logical conclusion. He said the anti-graft watchdog has recovered a record Rs 323 billion directly and indirectly in 2020. He said the NAB acknowledges the services of the business community for the prosperity of the country.

He said a special desk has been set up at the NAB Headquarters under the supervision of a director for resolving the issues of the business community. He said some 1,273 cases are currently under trial in various accountability courts and their volume of corruption is Rs 1,300 billion.