ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to initiate an inquiry into the alleged corruption of Rs62 billion in the Lahore Ring Road Project (LRRP). It said that the inquiry into the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), halted after a judgement of the Supreme Court, would resume after the top court’s verdict.

In a press release issued by the NAB headquarters on Wednesday, the bureau said its chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had told the director general, Lahore, to conduct an inquiry into the LRRP case.

The NAB chief said that after the judgement of the Supreme Court in the Peshawar BRT case, the anti-graft watchdog would complete its inquiry.

On Dec 10, the NAB chairman had said that references had been made against some leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for their alleged involvement in corruption in the Peshawar BRT and Malam Jabba resort projects.

The Peshawar BRT project has been delayed by over one year and its cost has reportedly increased from Rs17 billion to Rs90bn.

On the other hand, irregularities amounting to billions of rupees have been alleged in the LRRP, a mega project launched by the then chief minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019