PESHAWAR: A special court on Monday sought record from the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) in a bail plea of central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Ali Mohammad Khan arrested on charges of committing ‘irregularities’ in development schemes in Mardan district.

Senior special anti-corruption court judge Babar Ali Khan fixed July 10 for the next hearing of the petition filed by Mr Khan seeking his release on bail.

The petitioner claimed the charges against him were politically motivated and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing against him.

Mr Khan was re-arrested for the sixth time on June 27 after he was released from Mardan prison when he was granted bail by the same senior special judge in a case wherein the ACE had charged him along with several other former lawmakers of PTI from Mardan for allegedly making illegal appointments in fisheries department.

In the present case, the ACE registered another FIR on June 26 wherein Mr Khan, a former minister of state, and three other former lawmakers, have been charged with alleged irregularities in developmental schemes by awarding contracts to their ‘favourite’ contractors.

The ACE has referred to an audit report and alleged that they had inflicted a loss of Rs17.82 million to the exchequer.

It was alleged that instead of awarding contracts of certain schemes to the lowest bidders, the suspects had awarded the same to their ‘favourites’.

Mr Khan has denied the charges stating that he had no connection with the award of contracts as it was the job of relevant government officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that Ali Mohammad was initially arrested in Islamabad under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance on the orders of Islamabad’s deputy commissioner.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2023