-Issues notice to Hafeez Shaikh
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) executive board led by its chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal gave on Thursday a go-ahead to the institution of a number of new corruption inquiries.
The bureau’s executive board approved a new inquiry against PML-N leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar. An inquiry against former Gilgit Baltistan (GB) chief minister Syed Mehdi Shah on graft charges was also approved.
It gave approval to a corruption inquiry against former Capital Development Authority (CDA) director Asadullah Faiz and others on charges of allowing commercial use of a plot earmarked for a health facility. The meeting also approved an inquiry against former envoy AS Babar Hashmi and others.
In his remarks, the NAB chairman said the anti-corruption watchdog is strictly pursuing the “accountability of all” policy. Corruption-free Pakistan is the bureau’s foremost priority, he added.
Meanwhile Thursday, NAB Karachi chapter issued second notice to Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in case pertaining to illegal payment of US$10 million from national exchequer during his previous tenure as the finance minister.
Earlier, the anti-graft watchdog had summoned the adviser on December 1 but he failed to appear before the Combined Investigation Team. The system was not installed under the care project but the company was paid. Hafeez Shaikh is facing charges of illegal payments from the exchequer in the previous periods. He is accused of corruption over a million dollars.
