The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has started to further tighten the noose around former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the anti-graft body on Wednesday decided to file another corruption reference against him and others.
A senior official of the NAB said that the bureau had decided to file another corruption reference against former premier and former minister for petroleum and natural resources (who is currently in jail), Sheikh Imranul Haq former managing director (MD) Pakistan States Oil (PSO), Yaqoob Sattar Deputy MD PSO and others. They have been accused of misusing their authority and appointed former MD PSO and Deputy MD in violation of rules and regulations, which incurred loses of Rs138.96 million to the national exchequer.
In a report furnished before the Supreme Court, the NAB reportedly stated that during the course of inquiry, evidences showed that the appointment of former PSO MD Sheikh Imranul Haq was illegal and was not made in a transparent manner. The NAB further explained that Haq as acting PSO MD received monthly salary of Rs 4.95 million, whereas PSO's deputy managing director (finance) Yaqoob Sattar was getting a hefty package of Rs 2.76 million per month.
Abbasi and Haq are also accused in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case earlier filed by the NAB. He said that the decision to file another reference against Abbasi was taken in the NAB Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by the NAB Chairperson, Former Justice Javed Iqbal, and other senior officials.
The board in its meeting also decided to file three corruption references, approved seven inquires and referred any inquiry against the officers and employees of Ministry of Privatization and Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) to the government for further investigation. He said that the EBM also approved filing of a corruption reference against Syed Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha former senior member Board of Revenue Sindh, Abdul Samad Memon, former secretary Land Utilization, former district revenue officer Haider Abad, Muhammad Salik, and some other officials including Ghuda Hussain Abro, Imtiaz Solangi, Qadir Bakhsh and Muhammad Saleem. The accused have allegedly allotted government land illegally and incurred loses of Rs120 million to the national exchequer.
The official said that the bureau also ordered to file a corruption reference against Ghulam Mustafa, former secretary Land Utilization Sindh, Qazi Jan Muhammad, former deputy commissioner Malir, Abdul Subhan, former secretary land utilization, Ghulam Haider Chandio, former assistant commissioner, Muhammad Arif assistant commissioner Bin Qasim Town, Tufail Ahmed, Muhammad Saleem and Rao Muhammad Ayub. The accused have allotted government land illegally, which incurred loses of Rs40 million to the national exchequer, he said.
He said that the NAB EBM also approved seven corruption inquiries against Berjees Tahir, former federal minister, Saleem Goraya, Makhdoom Zada Syed, MNA Basit Ahmed Sultan, MPA Sardar Nasrullah Khan, former MD Manzal Development Cooperation Khalid Sajjad Khokar and others.
The official said that the bureau had decided to refer an inquiry against the officer and officials of Ministry of Privatization and PTCL to the government in order to further proceed with the case as per the law.