PESHAWAR: As an Ehtesab court on Tuesday extended remand of provincial mines and mineral development minister Ziaullah Afridi in the custody of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab commission for three days over the alleged misuse of power for illegal appointments, transfers and postings, the detainee told the court that the commission was not independent and he had been politically victimised.

Afridi said during his tenure as the minister, he had registered 97 FIRs against illegal mining in different districts and 17 of them were registered in Nowshera district about mining in Mamakhel field.

He, however, said the provincial police, which claimed to be independent, didn’t make any arrest in that regard.

The detained minister was brought to the Ehtesab court at Federal Judicial Complex in an armoured personnel carrier amid presence of a big contingent of police and a large number of his supporters.

After the court proceedings, Ziaullah Afridi tried to go to the outer courtyard to meet his supporters but he was stopped.

Unruly scenes were witnessed as the minister’s supporters and police had a scuffle.

Some supporters of the minister tried to cling to the Minister’s remand extended over misuse of power APC taking away Ziaullah.

One of them climbed up the roof of the APC and was seen raising slogans in favour of Ziaullah and against the Ehtesab Commission and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.

Ziaullah was produced before judge Hayat Ali Shah after completion of his 13 days remand.

He was arrested on July 9 by the commission and has so far remained in its custody for 26 days.

Additional deputy prosecutor general Qazi Babar Irshad appeared for the commission and said several charges were being probed against the suspect and therefore, his physical remand should be extended.

He alleged that from 2011 to 2015, raw materials were supplied to different factories from several mines causing Rs110 million loss to the exchequer.

Qazi Babar said several witnesses had to record their statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Abdul Lateef Afridi and Moazzam Butt, lawyers for the suspect, opposed further remand of their client and said during the last 26 days, the commission had not made any progress in the case.

Ziaullah Afridi told the judge that the commission was involved in his character assassination as his picture was taken in the lock-up and it was uploaded on social media.

He said he had made complaints about illegal supply of raw material to cement factories but the police didn’t take action.

The minister asked how the Ehtesab commission could be declared autonomous and independent when its director general had provided to the chief minister the questionnaire issued to him by the commission.

A delegation of Pakistan Muslim League-N MPAs comprising provincial parliamentary leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha, Sardar Fareed and Sheraz Khan also visited the court to show solidarity with Ziaullah.

Nalotha said he and other Leaguers had shown up to express support for their assembly colleague.

SUSPECTS SENT TO JAIL: The court sent to judicial lock-up four suspects, including a serving and two former officials of social welfare department, in a case of misappropriation of funds during the purchase of different items for destitute and disabled persons in 2009-10.

The suspects, including district social welfare officer in Lakki Marwat Insafur Rehman, former assistant director (administration) Nisar Mohammad, former assistant director budget and accounts Afsar Khan and contractor Wali Khan, were produced before the court after completion of physical remand of eight days with the commission.

Additional deputy prosecutor general Lajbar Khan said Rs20 million purchases were made in a dubious manner as contracts were awarded to fictitious firms.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2015

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