PESHAWAR: An accountability court here on Wednesday approved a plea bargain of Rs38.05 million of an accused in the high-profile case involving alleged embezzlement of over Rs37 billion in the Upper Kohistan district accounts office.

Judge Mohammad Zafar ordered release of accused Saran Zeb, a private contractor, if he’s not required in any other case. He pronounced that the accused was discharged from his liability and also stood disqualified from holding any public office under Section 15 of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The judge pronounced that the accused had conceded that his plea bargain agreement with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had his complete consent and according to his free will and not under any duress, coercion or pressure.

The court declared that the amount embezzled by the accused to the tune of Rs38.05 million had already been paid in lump sum by him through bank cheques in favour of the NAB chairman.

Orders his release if not wanted in any other case

The accused, a resident of Mansehra, is stated to be a close associate of the prime accused in the case, Qaiser Iqbal, who was a head clerk of the communication and works department. Until now, around 40 accused have been arrested in the case.

A special prosecutor of NAB, Manik Shah, appeared in the court along with investigation officer SP Inayatullah. Accused Saran Zeb, who was arrested in Nov 2025, was also brought in from prison.

The officials submitted application under Section 25(b) read with Section 15 of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, for approval of the plea bargain of the accused in the investigation going on against him regarding the embezzlement and misappropriation in respect of massive financial scam uncovered by NAB related to illegal withdrawal and misappropriation of more than Rs37 billion from the contractors security deposit head of an account, G-10113.

They said that in the scam uncovered by NAB, there was active collusion of the accused with other co-accused, including officials of communication and works department in Upper Kohistan, district accounts office Upper Kohistan, employees of National Bank of Pakistan’s Dasu branch and several private contractors.

The officials said that the accused persons had misappropriated funds from different projects through bogus withdrawal from national treasury in the name of several contractors, who had not executed any civil work. They said that allegation against the accused was misappropriation and embezzlement to the tune of Rs38.05 million.

They said that the accused, who was in judicial custody, moved an application for entering into a plea bargain with NAB authorities. They said that the plea bargain was also approved by the NAB chairman.

Meanwhile, an accused in Kohistan graft case, Bakhtiar Khan, was arrested by NAB after his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by the accountability court. The accused, who is owner of a private construction company, belongs to Gilgit.

NAB suspected that he along with scores of other accused persons was involved in that multi-billion corruption case. NAB claimed that the petitioner had set up a fake construction company for siphoning of government funds in Kohistan district. It added that multiple transactions had taken place from his bank accounts.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2026