MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Akramullah Ghazi on Saturday claimed that the party’s accountability committee had cleared him, provincial assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and other lawmakers of corruption charges.

“The PTI’s accountability panel has given me, Babar Swati and other assembly members a clean chit after accepting our responses to corruption allegations levelled by former senator Azam Khan Swati,” Mr Ghazi told reporters in the Oghi area here.

The MPA said some PTI leaders, who had refused to accept the party’s nominations for last year’s general elections, were behind the campaignagainst lawmakers from Mansehra district.

“I’m loyal to my leader Imran Khan, so if he asks me to resign, I‘llcomply without wasting time,” he said.

Mr Ghazi, who also serves as the chairman of the district development advisory committee, said Azam Swati didn’t specify anylawmakers while levelling corruption allegations.

He added thatmost of those allegations were related tolegislation, transfers, postings, and appointments of Class-IV employees, and didn’t involveany financial irregularities.

“Azamfailed to produce anyevidence to support his allegations, sothe accountability committeecleared us all of thosebaseless corruptioncharges,” he said.

SUSPENDED: District police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur has suspended an assistant sub-inspector and a constable for allegedly taking abribe from a motorist in the jurisdiction of the city police station.

“I have zero tolerance for corruption. That’s why these two personnel have beensuspended and a committee has been formed to probe those charges,” Mr Gandapurtold reporters on Saturday.

In aviral video, the two cops were seenintercept a vehicle, ask the driver to show licence and other documents, and then accept money before letting him go.

Mr Gandapur said a committee, led by Oghi deputy superintendent of police Nazir Khan, had been constituted to investigate the matter and itwould submit its report inthree days.

“If the suspended personnel are found guilty of accepting bribes, they will be brought to justice, as there is no place for corrupt elements in our department,” he said.

Meanwhile, elections for the district bar association will be held on April 8.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025