MULTAN, Jan 30: A senior health department official has accused a National Accountability Bureau official of highhandedness.

In a letter to the bureau chairman, Multan division health services former director Dr Muhammad Iqbal Khan alleged that the NAB official demanded a luxury car from him for a favourable inquiry report. On refusal, the official took ‘above the law’ actions to further implicate him.

The Punjab NAB is holding an inquiring against Dr Khan and others on the application of health department’s former official Sharif Ansari. Dr Khan had sacked Mr Ansari on the charge of malpractices. The bureau had deputed former magistrate Ali Akbar Bhatti, currently working as Anti-Corruption Establishment’s assistant director, to probe charges against Dr Khan and others.

Recently, an official of the office of Multan district health officer (DHO) Muhammad Zareef had moved the Lahore High Court against the excesses of Mr Bhatti. Zareef told the Lahore High Court that Mr Bhatti forced him to record a statement against Dr Khan and others.

Dr Khan alleged in his letter that the NAB official ‘kidnapped’ four low-grade employees of the health department from Multan and took them to Lahore.

He kept them there at a ‘private torture cell’ and pressurized them to give statements against him (Dr Khan) and other accused official of the health department.

He alleged that Zareef was among the officials ‘kidnapped’ by Mr Bhatti.

Mr Bhatti also tried to get the statements of the four ‘kidnapped’ employees recorded before a judicial magistrate to give legal cover to his concocted statements. But two of them managed to escape and revealed the story.

Mr Bhatti has engaged two officials of health services directorate-general to probe charges against Dr Khan and others who are accused of corruption and the ACE was investigating charges against them.

Dr Khan alleged that Mr Bhatti charged heavy amounts as investigation fees and POL expanses from the officials against whom he held inquiry on behalf of the accountability bureau.

When contacted, Ali Akbar Bhatti denied the charges levelled against him by Dr Khan. Terming them baseless, he said: “I am just doing my work.”