QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau, Balochistan, on Monday filed a reference against a health official for illegally accumulating assets worth over Rs200 million.

Khalid Bhati, who worked as medical technician at Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital, could not justify the ownership of two commercial plazas, luxury cars, houses and acres of agricultural land in Quetta, Lahore and Sahiwal in the names of his wife and a business partner.

During a probe initiated on a complaint, the anti-graft watchdog came across the fact that Mr Bhati had allegedly made illegal assets while in service.

Two commercial plazas, several houses in Lahore and Sahiwal and a house in Quetta, besides five expensive cars, were unearthed. However, the suspect could not come up with satisfactory answers with regard to their ownership and the source of his income.

Further investigation revealed that the suspect had made the assets in the name of his wife, benamidar and business partner Faqir Hussain.

Based on “substantial proof”, the bureau has filed a reference with the accountability court in Quetta.

The suspect is already in jail on a judicial remand in a separate NAB case involving millions of rupees corruption in the purchase of anti-rabies injection.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2022