ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on petitions filed by former chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Imtiaz Inayat Ilahi and ex member finance Saeedur Rehman to quash reference against them.

The allegedly stopped the work at Cultural Complex, which according to the anti corruption watchdog, escalated the construction cost manifold.

IHC division bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Fiaz Ahmed Ajnum Jandran took up the petitions.

Barrister Tassadq Hanif argued before the court that former CDA chairman had ordered to stop the work on the complex on the advice of Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He said the bureau had initiated an inquiry into this matter in 2015and filed a reference against Ilahi and Rehman before the accountability court in 2018.

The work on the project started during the military rule of Gen Pervez Musharraf and is still incomplete.

As per NAB “Imtiaz Inayat Elahi and Saeeduz Zaman had dishonestly ordered stoppage of work on under progress project without cogent reason causing huge loss to the national exchequer.”

However, the counsel argued that Mr Ilahi was posted from CDA about eight years ago and none of his successor ever resumed the construction work adding NAB in a discriminatory manner singled out Ilahi and did not act against those who were responsible to halt the project.

He pointed out that there was no proof of receiving monetary benefit due to this administrative order adding that the amendment in the National Accountability Ordinance clearly excluded from the NAB’s ambit for merely procedural lapse.

Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till December 17.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2020