ISLAMABAD, Dec 8: The Supreme Court has taken notice of alleged corruption in Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) by its former head Mir Shah Jahan Khetran and removal of two senior officers without following the required procedure to do so.

The notice has been taken on media reports and a complaint lodged by the removed officials – Managers (finance) Saeed Ansari and Abdul Rasool Zahidi.

Sources in the PTDC said on Sunday the court had sent a notice to the secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, seeking clarification why the two managers had been removed.

It is learnt that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an investigation into the alleged irregularities by Mr Khetran.

The sources said the present management of the corporation was allegedly hiding wrongdoings of Mr Khetran and it had not conducted a departmental inquiry against him. Mr Khetran was removed as PTDC managing director last week.

They said that instead of exposing illegal decisions taken for misuse of funds, hundreds of appointments and leasing out of PTDC property, the ministry and the present management of the corporation were trying to make the two managers scapegoats despite the fact that they had opposed illegal decisions allegedly taken by Mr Khetran.

NAB, which has been looking into the PTDC matter for a couple of months, on Wednesday gave approval for a formal investigation.

The sources said that NAB had initiated the investigation after receiving a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office, suggesting stern notice over the alleged corruption.

The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, did not mention the name of any other official for his involvement in the alleged irregularities by Mr Khertan.

The sources that names of the two managers were later sent to NAB by some officials in the ministry.

The letter read: “The contract [of] Mr Shah Jahan Khetran as managing director PTDC be terminated with immediate effect. An inquiry be held to determine as to how Mr Khetran was allowed…charge of post of MD on May 28, 2013. An audit of the accounts of PTDC during the tenure of Mr Khetran be conducted and an inquiry be held into the various malpractices, including appointments committee during his tenure.”

It is learnt that some officials of the ministry, who allegedly wanted illegal handover of PTDC’s assets (motels and resorts) worth trillions of rupees to provinces, had sent the names of Mr Ansari and Mr Zahidi to NAB.

The reason was that the two officials had opposed handing over of the precious assets to provinces without proper liquidation process.

Since the devolution of tourism ministry under the 18th Amendment, the fate of the PTDC is hanging in balance.