ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday decided to launch fresh investigations and inquiries against former ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Anusha Rehman, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, Iftikhar Gilani, former chief minister of Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri for being involved in corrupt practices.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by bureau’s chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal.

Khawaja Saad Rafique will face probe for his alleged involvement in corruption in Pakistan Railways (being former minister for railways) and Ashiyana Housing Scheme, Lahore, in which former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif had recently been arrested.

Justice Iqbal says bureau is vigorously pursuing a policy of accountability of all

The EBM also approved filing of a reference against Gul Hassan Channa, former secretary of Board of Revenue, Sindh; Iftikhar Haider, former managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board; Syed Umer Ahmed, Sarfraz Merchant, Shahid Rasool, Syed Mohammad Mujtaba, Mirza Afzal Baig, Awais Mirza, Jamil and Farid Suriya for allegedly allotting 769 acres of state land illegally to private persons, causing a loss of Rs480.40 million to the exchequer.

The meeting authorised filing of a reference against Naeem Yahya Mir, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO); Dr Syed Nazir Ahmed Zaidi, senior general manager of PSO; Zulfikar Ali Jaffery, Akhtar Zaheer, Sabir Hussain, and Kamran Iftikhar Lari, chief operating officer, Byco Oil Pakistan Limited. They are accused of signing an agreement with Byco Oil Pakistan Limited, causing a loss of Rs23 billion.

The EBM approved a reference against Abdul Hameed Pathan, administrator of Taluka Gharo Khairo, Jacobabad; TMA engineer Sahahzada Khokhar and others for causing a loss of Rs20bn to the national kitty by misusing authority.

Another corruption reference was approved against Ahmed Junaid Memon, former chief engineer of Sukkur Barrage left bank region; Saeed Ahmed, former chief engineer of Sukkur Barrage; Amjad Ahmed, former superintendent engineer; Syed Husnain Haider, former executive engineer; Shahzad Ali, assistant executive engineer; and chief executive / director of the Sardar Mohammad Ashraf Baloch and Company. They have been accused of committing corruption in various government schemes, causing a loss of Rs660m.

The EBM authorised closing corruption reference against former commerce secretary Mohammad Shahzad Arbab, former secretary export policy, Federal Board of Revenue Imran Ahmed Chaudhry, and officials of Customs Collectorate, Peshawar and clearing agents of Fata and returning them to the ministry of commerce.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2018