PESHAWAR: The anti-corruption establishment has registered a first information report (FIR) against seven former MPAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf over the alleged misuse of power and corrupt practices.

Former deputy speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mehmood Jan, former cabinet members Kamran Bangash, Taimur Saleem and Ishtiaq Urmar and former MPAs Fazal Ilahi, Asif Khan and Pir Mohammad were booked under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, according to the FIR registered by the ACE police station here.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, read that the ACE Peshawar received complaints against the accused regarding the misuse of power, embezzlement of funds, illegal recruitment, and possession of illegal assets. Mr Bangash rejected the charges against him and said the registration of FIR against him was a politically-motivated move.

He told Dawn over the phone from an undisclosed location that the PTI leaders weren’t allowed to appear before the courts to challenge cases against them and whenever they tried to do so, they’re forced to hold news conferences to declare their exit from the party.

“This is a politically-motivated FIR, which is registered with a mala fide intent. There is no substance in it,” the former minister insisted.

Mr Bangash also alleged that members of the current caretaker government in the province were involved in massive corruption and all that was “visible to media.”

SUMMONED: The ACE on Tuesday issued a notice to former PTI Town member Irfan Saleem directing to appear before its officers here tomorrow [Thursday] over corruption charges.

The notice, a copy of which is available with Dawn, reads, “The accused [Irfan Saleem] embezzled funds in the previous PTI government, and made illegal recruitment and in return received vehicles. He also purchased plots in DHA Rawalpindi and Peshawar, Regi Lalma Township, and New Peshawar Valley.”

The ACE accelerated its crackdown on former PTI lawmakers recently. Noted among them is central PTI leader Ali Mohammad Khan, who is detained over an FIR registered by the ACE in Mardan district.

Mr Khan was earlier arrested in another case registered against him by the ACE.

On Monday, a special court sought records from the ACE over a bail plea filed by PTI leader Ali Mohammad Khan in a case of ‘irregularities’ in Mardan development schemes.

Senior judge of the special anti-corruption court Babar Ali Khan fixed July 10 for the next hearing into the bail petition.

The petitioner claimed that the charges against him were politically-motivated ones and that the ACE had no evidence of his involvement in any wrongdoing.

Recently, former MPA Shakil Ahmad Khan was arrested by the ACE on the charge of carrying out illegal appointments to a Malakand hospital. However, he was set free on bail granted by the special anti-corruption court. Also, the petitions of several former PTI MPAs for pre-arrest bail are pending with the court for decision.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2023