QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Balochistan, on Monday arrested former chairman of the Balochistan Public Service Commission, Mohammad Ashraf Magsi, over allegations of irregularities and illegal appointments.

Magsi was picked up by NAB personnel in a raid on his residence and shifted to NAB headquarters, sources in the accountability body said.

Magsi was sacked by the Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai in Nov 2014 over charges of irregularities and corruption, after NAB had initiated an inquiry against him for recruiting officers in violation of merit four years ago.

He was accused of recruiting officers above grade 17 in violation of merit and taking bribery from candidates at the time.

Two of Magsi's daughters, who were working in grade 17 for the Balochistan Education Department, were terminated in 2013 after NAB found their degrees to be fake.

The arrest comes days after the accountability body arrested Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani, who has been accused of embezzling billions of rupees from local government development funds, in a raid on his office.

Bags filled with local and foreign currency were recovered during the raid from the residence of Raisani, who is in NAB’s custody on a 14-day remand.

NAB sources earlier said a political figure was likely to be arrested after Raisani during initial interrogation disclosed the names of political facilitators in connection with a mega-corruption case in the province.

Meanwhile, NAB Director General retired Major Tariq Mehmood told Dawn that around 150 cases of corruption were under investigation in Balochistan. Investigation was in progress against some sitting and former ministers for alleged involvement in corruption cases, he added.