ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Court on Monday authorised inquiries against the National Testing Service (NTS) management and the Punjab Health Department for alleged irregularities and corruption.
The decision to this effect was made at the bureau’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) held under the chairmanship of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.
The EMB also decided to launch an inquiry against the management of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM). They have been accused of causing a loss of Rs 7.5 billion to the national kitty by “illegally” withdrawing provident funds and gratuity of employees. It accorded approval to conduct another inquiry against Karachi Development Authority (KDA) officers and others for allegedly changing the status of welfare plots into residential and commercial ones, inflicting a huge loss to the national exchequer.
The EBM authorised yet another inquiry against Port Qasim Authority Managing Director Abdul Sattar Dero and others. It also decided to initiate an inquiry against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, KP Chief Secretary Khalid Pervaiz and others for leasing out 275 acres of forest land to Siemens Group of Companies by alleged abuse of authority and corruption. Investigations were also approved against former Quetta Development Authority director general Noor Ahmed Pirkani and others for alleged illegal allotment of plots.
The bureau authorised investigations against former Balochistan food minister Azhar Hussain and others for alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 211.848 million in the purchase of wheat in Pishin.
Addressing the meeting, Javed Iqbal said that corruption was a cancer, which should be eliminated altogether. The elimination of corruption is national responsibility of NAB officers, he said.
Published in Daily Times, March 6th 2018.
