ISLAMABAD – National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal chaired an Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, marked by several inquiries, investigations, complaint verification and filing of references against different government officials and private people were authorised over alleged corruption and misuse of authority charges against them.
The NAB Executive Board authorised the filing of a corruption reference against former Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SSGCL) Managing Director Azeem Iqbal Siddique, former Finance Committee Chairman Shahid Aziz Siddique, former Finance General Manager Malik Usman Hassan and others. All these persons have been accused of hiring the services of MS Pro Gas Private Limited without verifying their technical and financial capabilities, which was against the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. That anomaly inflicted losses amounting to Rs1.174 billion on the national exchequer.
An inquiry was authorised by the board against Pir Sibgatullah Rashidi and officers/officials of Korangi Board of Revenue in Karachi for illegally allotting a government plot to a private person by misusing authority. They have also been accused of allotting the land of Defence View Society of Karachi and carrying out illegal construction on the state land, thus inflicting losses to the tune of Rs212 million.
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The executive board also approved an inquiry against former Capital Development Authority (CDA) Member State Brig (r) Asad Munir, former CDA Estate Director Khalid Mehmood Mirza, former CDA Deputy Financial Adviser Ziaur Rehman Toor and others. They have been involved in the restoration of plot no-20, sector F-11/1 of Islamabad by using their authority illegally, which incurred losses amounting to millions of rupees on the taxpayers.
Moreover, the executive board authorised another inquiry against former Balochistan AIG Abdul Qadeer Bhatti for having assets beyond known sources of income. Yet another investigation was authorised by the board against Sindh Local Government (LG) department for illegally appointing 12,810 persons in grade 1-15 in the LG department, thus causing huge losses to the national exchequer.
The meeting also authorised inquiry against the officials/officers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Communication and Works (C&D) department, MS Mecatech Private Limited and others for illegally awarding a contract to MS Mecatech Private Limited. They were accused of supplying low-quality air conditioners to Lady Reading Hospital in the provincial capital, which inflicted losses amounting to Rs2435.906 million on the national exchequer.
Moreover, the NAB Executive Board authorised investigations against the officers/officials of Khan Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan for misappropriating construction funds of the university through misuse of authority. The accused have inflicted a loss of Rs4 billion on the national exchequer.
In addition, an inquiry was authorised against, Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rehmatullah Baloch, officers/officials of QESCO, MS Al Nasir Agriculture Foundry Works and others to probe electricity theft charges, which caused Rs29.612 million losses to the national exchequer.
The executive board also decided to refer inquiry against former Pakistan International School Jeddah Principal Senator Sehar Kamran to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The EBM decided to refer another inquiry against Khadim Hussain Bhatti to Punjab inspector general of police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the board meeting also decided to close inquiries against MS Zephyr Textile Mills Limited, Lahore, Humayun Naseer Shaikh, Ahsan Humayun Shaikh, Port Qasim Authority, Ministry of Industries, officers/officials of SSGCL and former Sibbi, Balochistan Nazim Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki. It also decided to close investigations against Ahmed Humayun Shaikh.
During the meeting, the NAB chairman said that corruptin is a cancer, of which cure is direly needed. The Bureau is strictly following its policy of ‘Accountability for All’, he added.
