PESHAWAR, May 4: Former secretary of the Local Council Board (LCB), NWFP, Laiq Khan who remained at large since June, 2000 to avoid trial by the Accountability Court, surrendered himself to the authorities of NAB on Saturday ending almost two years absconding.

Laiq Khan, made many attempts through his sons to strike a plea bargain with NAB but their requests were not entertained on the grounds that such plea could only be materialised when the accused surrenders to the NAB authorities and faces trial by the court, said a press release of the NAB here on Saturday.

After turning down their last such requests made in March 2002, Laiq Khan surrendered voluntarily on Saturday.

He was produced before an Accountability Court here soon after his voluntary surrender and remanded to the NAB for 14 days.

The accused Laiq Khan was charged under section 9 & 10 of the NAB Ordinance 1999 for allegedly accumulating properties and other assets worth Rs 53.2 million acquired in his own name, dependents and benamidars grossly disproportionate to his known sources of income and apparently attributed to committal of acts of corruption and corrupt practices.

Laiq Khan, being the son of Pesh-i-Imam of a mosque in village Kotha, Swabi district, owned only three kanal and three marla inherited property in his village, had joined the government service as Agriculture Assistant in 1957.

In 1967, he joined Local Council Service and rose to the secretary level in 1988 where he remained till his retirement in 1997.

The investigation revealed that the family of a humble origin had purchased property totalling 38 plots in Hayatabad and other posh localities of the North West Frontier Province worth millions of rupees.

He acquired and purchased most of his property either in the names of his dependents (wife, sons and daughters) or his son-in- law who is also his nephew and working as sub-engineer in the Local Government.

In the light of the allegations and supporting evidence on record, warrants of arrest of the accused were issued on June 17, 2000.

However, all attempts to arrest him remained futile till July 26, 2000 when the Accountability Court issued a proclamation against him.

Consequently, on authority of the chairman of the NAB, the reference against Laiq Khan and others including his sons, son-in-law and a relative, Mohammad Naeem was filed before the Accountability Court.—APP