PESHAWAR: The Peshawar deputy commissioner has terminated the services of revenue officer Saeed Khan, who was held by the National Accountability Bureau for having illegal assets but was freed after he entered into a plea bargain.

on May 19, an accountability court in Peshawar had accepted the plea bargain application of Saeed Khan, widely known as an influential figure in the revenue department, on condition of depositing Rs 22.38 million with the NAB.

Under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, if anyone facing the charge of some wrongdoing admits his crime and enters into plea bargain with NAB, he or she has to lose job and he or she can’t become public office-holder or public functionary for the next 10 years.

In compliance with the accountability court’s decision, Peshawar deputy commissioner Zaheerul Islam imposed the major penalty of dismissal from service on Saeed Khan, who was a gardawar when he was held by the NAB.

After his arrest, the NAB had declared the revenue official the ‘king of corruption.’

Saeed Khan’s plea bargain application was first accepted by the NAB chairman and then referred to the court for final approval.

The revenue official, who had worked as patwari for many years and was promoted as gardawar in 2012, enjoyed the reputation of being a highly influential official of the department, who had the support of key politicians and was known for appointing patwaris of his choice to key positions.

At the time of his arrest, he was posted to the Peshawar deputy commissioner’s office and was on leave.

Saeed Khan was arrested on the charge of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

He also faced the charge of accumulating the millions of rupees worth of huge assets, both moveable and immoveable ones, disproportionate to his legal sources of income.

The NAB had claimed the preliminary findings of an inquiry confirmed massive corruption of Saeed Khan patronised by influential people. It also insisted the revenue official was popularly known as the ‘mover and shaker’ of the revenue department.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014