The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and other attached departments of the Ministry of Petroleum have handed over all the necessary records to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which is investigating corruption cases against Dr Asim Hussian, former adviser to prime minister on Petroleum. According to official sources in the OGDCL, NAB had sought the record of the deal between Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) and Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited (JJVL) as well as the record of Sanjero Gas field.
The authorities have made a few arrests in this connection. Those arrested include Manager Supply Chain Hafiz Aslam and Mohammad Riaz Khan, and Procurement Officer at Sanjero gas field. The authorities have already arrested senior officials of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) while no arrests have been made in Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL). The authorities are also examining gas sale purchase agreements between Exploration and Production (E&P) companies and gas distribution companies as well as issuance of licences to CNG stations during Dr Asim's tenure.
Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS) and SSGC are also under investigation for issuing tender and signing documents for setting up a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at Port Qasim which was built by Engro Corporation.
A NAB official said that on January 6, 2016 an investigation was authorised against Dr Asim on charges of illegal allotment of state land and money laundering. He added that a meeting of NAB's executive board authorised investigations against Dr Asim Hussain; Syed Athar Hussain, Director Land of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA); and Abdul Hameed, Administrator of Ziauddin Medical Centre, Dubai.
The official said they are accused of fraudulently and illegally allotting and annexing government lands. The proceeds from these illegal activities were utilised for money laundering, causing billions of rupees of losses to the national exchequer, he said.
The official said that the Bureau is also investigating other corruption cases against Dr Asim, including alleged illegal affiliation of 20 private medical colleges with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), issuance of licences for dozens of CNG stations, and receiving undue benefits from the council for his own medical colleges and hospitals in Karachi.
Recently Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that no proof of corruption had been found against Dr Asim Hussain in the Ministry's files and that the Ministry had not been consulted before his arrest. However, he said that the Rangers made contacts with Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) prior to the arrest of the former minister and now it was the responsibility of the two to provide evidence to the organisations carrying out the investigation.
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