QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Balochistan has initiated legal proceedings against seven members of the Balochistan Assembly, and former and serving military and civil officers over corruption charges.

The NAB started verification and inquiry against seven MPAs soon after receiving corruption complaints in the first quarter of the current year. The MPAs include Obaidullah Babat, Rehmat Saleh Baloch, Malik Kakar, Ismail Gujjar, Inita Irfan, Jan Mohammad Jamali and Ameer Zaman, a NAB spokesman said on Thursday.

NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had given the go-ahead to also probe retired lieutenant generals Afzal Janjua, Obaidullah Khattak and retired brigadiers Iftikhar Mehdi and Asad Shahzada in two different cases of corruption.

NAB had also filed references against former additional chief secretary of Balo­chistan Ali Zaheer Hazara, ex-chairman of the Balochistan Development Authority, former managing director of the Water and Sanitation Authority Hamid Lateef Rana while it arrested the sitting Member of Balochistan Assembly and former food minister Mir Izhar Khoso and Secretary Food Noor Ahmed Pirkani over corruption allegations.

NAB also handed over the cheques amounting to Rs150 million to the provincial government it recovered from the corrupt elements during the first quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, the efforts of NAB also bore fruit and properties of over Rs1 billion accumulated by the accused in mega corruption case were also transferred to the provincial government, besides recovery of Rs470 million, according to the spokesman.

NAB Balochistan Director Mirza Mohammad Irfan Baig soon after assuming his office in January formed teams to arrest proclaimed offenders (POs). The move yielded positive results as many POs were apprehended.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018