LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau, Punjab, has closed the construction case of the National Database Registration Authority (headquarters) Johar Town building after its deputy chief was allegedly found involved in corruption during his tenure as Nadra acting chairman.

Interestingly, the NAB closed investigation at the inquiry stage when it was transpired that the alleged corruption had been committed during the tenure of Imtiaz Tajwar as Nadra acting chairman.

The NAB Lahore had received a complaint in March last alleging that corruption had been committed in the construction of Nadra building in Johar Town. “Substandard material has been used in the construction of the building.”

Initiating the probe, the NAB wrote a letter to the Nadra director general, Lahore, seeking details including estimated cost, expenditure incurred and report of Nadra’s own inquiry, if any. “However, before a thorough investigation was carried out and someone was held accountable the NAB closed the inquiry after knowing that its deputy chief was at the helm in Nadra when the alleged corruption had been committed in the project,” a source in the bureau said.

FIA is probing another case against him

“We have closed the inquiry as no corruption has been found in the Nadra Johar Town building project,” a NAB official told Dawn.

NAB Punjab Director General retired Maj Burhan Ali, however, chose not to comment when this reporter asked about reasons for closing the inquiry against its own deputy chief.

On the other hand, Federal Investigation Agency has launched probe against Mr Tajwar for irregularities he allegedly committed serving as Nadra acting chairman.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had taken notice of the alleged corruption in some projects during the stint of Tajwar in Nadra and ordered FIA to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Mr Tajwar, who was serving as additional secretary with the ministry of interior, was given the additional charge of Nadra after Tariq Malik resigned. Tajwar remained Nadra’s acting chairman for over a year.

Chaudhry Nisar said it had been found that Mr Tajwar was involved in “massive financial irregularities and he blatantly wasted Nadra’s resources.”

FIA is probing ‘wrongdoings’ in the process of hiring a building for Nadra offices in Islamabad.

To maintain transparency and quality human resource at senior levels in the authority, the interior minister has also directed security clearance of all Nadra’s directors general and general managers from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2016