ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday granted approval for filing of four references.

A meeting of the NAB Executive Board approved the filing of references against former press information officer Chaudhry Rasheed Ahmed, ex-president of the Bank of Punjab Naeemuddin Khan, secretary of the Karachi Port Trust Officers Cooperative Housing Society Ghulab Khan and former director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority Manzoor Qadir.

NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal presided over the meeting.

The meeting also authorised three inquiries against some bureaucrats and a public representative.

According to NAB, a reference will be filed in an accountability court against Chaudhry Rasheed Ahmed and others for allegedly trying to withdraw Rs28.5 million from the national exchequer in connivance with an advertising agency by misusing their authority.

Suspects are all senior officers belonging to various sectors

The meeting approved a reference against Naeemuddin Khan and others for misuse of authority in purchase of Bank of Punjab shares through inside trading, causing a loss of Rs10.385m.

It approved the filing of a reference against Ghulab Khan and others for alleged illegal allotment of state land, which caused a loss of Rs110m to the exchequer.

The meeting allowed the officials concerned to file a reference against Manzoor Qadir and others for illegally allotting state land in Karachi to a private firm, causing a loss of Rs3 billion to the national kitty.

The NAB board approved the filing of inquiries against Syed Talat Mehmood, former chief operating officer, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited and others; MNA Nasir Iqbal, Imdadullah Bosal, former secretary to the chief minister of Punjab; and Zardari Group Private Limited.

The meeting authorised closing of an inquiry against management/officers of Punjab Renewable Energy Company Limited and others and officers of Quaid-i-Azam Wonder Power Company Limited and others for lack of incriminating evidence at the moment.

The NAB deputy chairman, prosecutor general accountability, the director general operations, the NAB Rawalpindi director general and other senior officers also attended the meeting.

The NAB chairman told the meeting that under a year-long policy to provide details of the Executive Board’s decisions to the people were not aimed at hurting anyone.

“The inquiries have been initiated on the basis of allegations which are not final. NAB only proceeds further after knowing both sides of the picture,” he added.

The chairman said conclusion of mega corruption cases was the top most priority of NAB which was already pursuing ‘accountability for all’. All available resources were being utilised to eliminate corruption and recover looted money, he added.

“Corruption is the root cause of all ills being confronted by the country. Eliminating corruption was a collective responsibility of all Pakistanis.”

He directed NAB directors general to leave no stone unturned to take the cases of corrupt, proclaimed offenders to a logical conclusion.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2019