NAB approves inquiry against former Pemra chief | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

NAB approves inquiry against former Pemra chief

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approved an inquiry into allegations of corruption and misuse of authority against Chaudhry Rashid, former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

The decision about the inquiry was taken by NAB’s executive board at a meeting presided over by its Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Zaman on Thursday.

The bureau’s spokesman said Rashid was accused of misusing authority and being involved in corruption and corrupt practices on various counts.

Mr Rashid was appointed Pemra chairman on Jan 26 last year by the PPP government and sacked by President Mamnoon Hussain on April 17. He challenged his dismissal in Islamabad High Court the same month. The case is being tried by the court.

According to the NAB charge-sheet, Chaudhry Rashid is accused of illegally granting landing rights to some private TV channels and being involved in other acts of corruption. He has denied the allegations.

The NAB board also authorised an investigation against officials of the Pak Public Works Department (Pak-PWD) and others over allegations of misuse of authority and violation of Pakistan Procurement Regulatory Authority rules by illegally awarding a contract for a road project in NA-51 Gujjar Khan, the constituency of former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Another investigation was approved against officials of the Pakistan Electric Power Company and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and others into alleged illegal sale/purchase of electricity generated by the private sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The administration of Gadoon Textile Mills in connivance with the Pesco officers sold electricity to Pesco at higher rate and then purchased it at lower price, although the mill did not qualify as captive power plant under the guidelines and policy announced by the government,” the NAB spokesman said.

The NAB board also approved an investigation against officials of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and Northern Institute of Medical Science Abbottabad into alleged corrupt practices.

An investigation was approved against former KP revenue minister Syed Murid Kazim, former senior member of the Board of Revenue Ahsan Ullah and three people. They are accused of illegally transferring 1976 kanals of valuable state land in Dera Ismail Khan.

The meeting approved a Rs142 million plea bargain application submitted by Tahir Abbas, former managing director of the Regional Development Finance Corporation (now SME Bank). He is accused of illegally disbursing government funds to private companies for personal gains.

The board approved recommendations of its committee about some pending cases. Two investigations about accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income were closed for want of incriminating evidence. The first case was against former federal minister Ghulam Mustafa Khar and the second against ex-MPA Attiqur Rehman.

Complaint verifications against Munawar Ali Talpur and Adil Siddiqui were closed for want of evidence.

The board directed NAB Punjab to collect more evidence against Sheikh Mohammad Afzal of Haris Steel Mills and others for allegedly obtaining a loan from Faysal Bank on fake documents.

An inquiry was approved against former minister Na­w­abzada Mehmood Khan and officials of the KP mines and mineral department over allegations of misusing authority and giving undue favour in granting prospecting licence of phosphate mines.

DAWN