NAB Amendment Act: Court returns references against senator, DG Sports Board, others to NAB

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: An Accountability Court (AC) Wednesday returned a reference to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against PPP Senator Rubina Khalid and others pertaining to alleged corruption of Rs30.13 million in the Lok Virsa funds, reported local media.

AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the verdict on the petition of accused under NAB Amendment Act 2022. The court stated that it did not fall under the jurisdiction of accountability court after the fresh amendments in the law.

The court asked the bureau to file the case to relevant forum. NAB had nominated Rubina Khalid, former Executive Director of Lok Virsa, Mazharul Islam, Dr Tabinda Zafar and Muhammad Shafi as accused in the reference.

NAB alleged that Mazharul Islam had misused his authority and illegally extended the contracts in favour of Cosmos Production “in connivance with” Senator Rubina Khalid and Dr Zafar.

Additionally, NAB said that Senator Rubina Khalid and Dr Zafar had “gained illegal benefits by getting the extension of the agreement without calling fresh tenders/without any competition.” It added that this had resulted in a loss of Rs30.13 million to the national exchequer.

Meanwhile, another Accountability Court (AC) on Wednesday sent back Punjab Youth Festival Corruption reference against former DG Sports Board Punjab Usman Anwar to the NAB due to amendments in NAB laws.

The court has sent back the reference to the bureau as after the amendments in the NAB laws, corruption reference under worth of Rs500 million does not fall under the NAB jurisdiction.

The NAB had arrested former DG Sports Board Punjab Usman Anwar on the charges of allegedly embezzling funds of the Punjab Youth Festival and violating PPRA rules in awarding contracts. As per the details shared by the NAB on the arrest of Usman Anwar, the Punjab government had arranged the Punjab Youth Festival in 2011 and 2012. Millions of rupees were embezzled during both rounds of the festival. Later, Usman had secured bail.