April 15, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 26, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, April 14: An accountability court on Saturday summoned Maj-Gen (retd) Zahid Ahsan, former chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), and four other former officers of the authority to appear before it on April 24 in a case relating to the embezzlement of millions of rupees in the purchase of equipment for the authority.

The Accountability Court No 3, headed by Judge Saghir Ahmed Qadri, also issued notices to other co-accused, including Nadra’s former director-general Brig (retd) Mudasar Akhtar, former project director Lt-Col (retd) Syed Talmiz Abbass and former deputy director Major (retd) Sohail Iqbal.

Sources said that Tahir Hussain Khan, a civilian who allegedly acted as a front man of General Ahsan and had been arrested recently, had filed an application with the National Accountability Bureau chairman for a plea-bargain deal, admitting charges against him.

Under the deal, he agreed to pay an amount exceeding Rs5.6 million. He submitted a pay-order of Rs1.9 million and provided a bank guarantee against the remaining amount.