NAB official suspended over professors’ handcuffing

E-Paper | July 28, 2026

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal has suspended an additional director from service for producing Punjab University’s former vice chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran and four other teachers in handcuffs before an accountability court and constituted a new team to investigate the charges against the five professors.

Presiding over a meeting at the bureau’s Lahore office on Wednesday, Mr Iqbal took strict notice of the incident and suspended additional director Muhammad Rafi from service. He also ordered an investigation into the matter.

He also recommended to the Punjab police chief to suspend ASI Mukhtar Ahmed in this case.

The NAB Lahore has sent all judicial guards back to their parent department (police) after the incident as it blamed them for presenting the suspects in handcuffs.

Prof Kamran, two former registrars, Prof Dr Raas Masood and Prof Dr Liaquat Ali, and two additional registrars, Prof Dr Aurangzaib Alamgir and Dr Kamran Abid, are facing charges of 550 illegal appointments in the Punjab University.

Prof Kamran is also accused of illegally appointing his second wife Dr Shazia Qureshi as principal of the Punjab University Law College and also awarding scholarships to ‘favourite’ students.

The NAB chairman constituted a new team to investigate the case of Prof Kamran and other suspects.

A delegation comprising teachers of Punjab University also called on him at the NAB office and assured him of their full cooperation with it in this case.

According to NAB, the chairman assured the visiting teachers of complete transparency in the probe against the five professors. “They (teachers) regretted a vilification campaign against the NAB’s Lahore director general after the arrest of the varsity teachers,” it said.

The chairman asked the visiting teachers to play their role in addressing the menace of corruption in educational institutions. He said NAB did not believe in victimisation of suspects as it was determined to fight corruption.

In the meeting with the bureau’s officials in Lahore, Mr Iqbal was briefed on progress on all mega corruption cases. He directed the officials to complete investigation within due course of time.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

Pakistan

PU ex-VC, four others held for corruption

SC shames DG NAB Lahore for putting PU ex-vice chancellor, professors in handcuffs

CJP orders removal of Punjab University's vice chancellor

Oct 18, 2018 08:20am

Swift corrective action.

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M. Emad

Oct 18, 2018 08:22am

Former vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Mujahid Kamran and 4 other handcuffed teachers are facing charges of 550 illegal appointments in the Punjab University.

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Oct 18, 2018 08:46am

If others are presented in courts with similar charges with handcuffs on, then these professors should also be presented in court the same way.

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Nusrat

Oct 18, 2018 09:07am

Terminate him and all those found guilty

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Danish

Oct 18, 2018 09:42am

Why NAB officer suspended ? He should be sacked from NAB dual standard in Gov system.

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auginpk

Oct 18, 2018 09:45am

What action would be taken if the conviction of Nawaz Shariff was wrong .

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Muneer

Oct 18, 2018 09:52am

Are handcuffs only meant for ordinary citizens?. It was against the principle of equality of law that the CJ / SC took notice of handcuffing of the defaulting academics and suspension of Police / NAB officials. Are there two laws in Pakistan for making arrests,one for elite and one for ordinary citizens?. The SC / NAB Chairman needs to clarify. The procedure ‘ How to Arrest ‘, is laid down in Crpc Pakistan. After all , the former head of the World Bank Strauss-Kahn was handcuffed when charges were leveled against him though he later got acquitted. That was equality of law and not like what is happening here .

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Danish

Oct 18, 2018 09:52am

NAB need to investigate past 70 years corruption in Education across Pakistan. Majority of people in Education who was on high post came via corruption either by favouritism or by political influence. In Balochistan most of the appointments in school level by safarash of source people. Or Pay as you go method.. Need accountability across the board.

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M. Emad

Oct 18, 2018 09:59am

An inquiry report about plagiarism allegations against Punjab University Law College principal Dr. Shazia Qureshi have been submitted recently before the Pakistan Supreme Court.

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Javed

Oct 18, 2018 10:03am

CJ please summon NAB chief and DG in handcuffs. Why professors are handcuffed while Musharraf, Rao Anwar, Farrukh Javed, Obaidulla allowed to escape... simply because they once donned uniforms?

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Hajira Aslam

Oct 18, 2018 10:12am

No one gives the right to NAB do what they want.No doubt,NAB done their duty well to fight against corruption,but,insult the teachers in this way do not accept that.I am happy with the NAB chairman who terminate all of them who doing such shameless activity.

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Babar Hussain

Oct 18, 2018 12:00pm

Well this is the respect teachers and professors get !! no wonder education does not enjoy any status in this country. Very sad that without beging proven guilty, they were handcuffed? Unless proven guilty, they are innocent.

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Nazeer

Oct 18, 2018 12:26pm

Good job...should have done much earlier..

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Ahmad

Oct 18, 2018 12:39pm

If the Chairman feels really sorry for the high handedness of NAB, he should release the Professors and summon them to his office if and when required. The Chairman should also review cases of other prisoners. Is their incarceration absolutely essential? In civilized countries punishment follows conviction, but in NAB’s case the process appears to be reversed.

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dr kamranchaudhry

Oct 18, 2018 02:17pm

even they are not professor check it out.honourable society have honourable people corrupt society have corrupt and they should be consider and treated like all corrupt are treated.

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dr kamranchaudhry

Oct 18, 2018 02:22pm

@Javed if as a p[rofessor he has done what is he blame for, the what is being honourable .

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Shahid

Oct 18, 2018 02:44pm

Don't selectively apply a 'standard,' if you have one on books or believe in one for deterrence, for similar nature of offences irrespective of 'profession', 'vocation' and/or real or perceived 'standing' of individuals.otherwise it looses its domain and the intended effect.

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A.M. Khawar

Oct 18, 2018 03:15pm

Thank you retired Justice Javed Iqbal, the Chairman National Acco-untability Bureau (NAB) for taking action to begin to reign in the NAB. It has been long over due. Whereas this is respectable start, there is a lot more to be desired. By the definition of the NAB mandate, they should command respect in the nation; and that is only possible by equal and transparent application of the law to all citizens. As of now, the NAB does not enjoy nation wide respect. Respect is earned not bestowed. The NAB needs to earn it to do their jobs in a just and equitable manner. The nation is watching. Every body must be treated as innocent until proven guilty. And thank you Dawn for playing an honorable job in focusing the nations attention on the NAB’s shenanigans.

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realistic

Oct 18, 2018 04:43pm

@Hajira Aslam Teachers are role model of the society and a very honorable profession. Everyone associated with such profession should be double careful in his deeds. However, when people occupying such positions, misuse it for the sack of corruption, they should be dealt even more severely for violation of law and name shaming of an honorable profession. The professor was not presented before the court for his honorable profession but for the crimes he has committed while holding that position. One must do justice to the position before claiming honor of the same.

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Farooq

Oct 18, 2018 05:01pm

We must keep in mind that NAB & police employees were hired by the previous government. Their loyalty demands that they should do anything which can defame the new government.

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Prof@uk

Oct 18, 2018 07:39pm

Top universities and companied all over the developed world pay yiu if you find someone you know to work for them.

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AKB

Oct 18, 2018 07:55pm

The age limit and status of a person should be kept in mind before arrest for investigations. No aged and fragile person should be handcuffed however after having proved guilty they may be punished in accordance with the law. Senior citizens deserve respect and not humiliation.

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