The National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
has closed cases against Federal Minister for Industries
and Production Jhangir Khan Tareen and PML Secretary-General
Mushahid Hussain, the bureau informed the Prime Minister
Secretariat.
Minister for Water and
Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi has also been cleared in two cases
while one case against him is still to be decided. The
NAB, in its report, disclosed that besides Liaqat Ali
Jatoi, two federal ministers, one chairman standing committee
and one former political adviser to former PM Jamali were
still facing cases.
They are Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmed
Khan Sherpao, Minister for Kashmir and Northern Areas
Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Chairman Senate Standing Committee
on Local Government and Rural Development Sarwar Khan
Kakar and the former adviser to former prime minister
Jamali, Rana Nazir Ahmed.
When contacted by The News, Tareen confirmed
that he was investigated by the NAB. "Nothing could
be found against me. Not even a shred of any wrongdoing
as I have always led a documented life with payment of
full taxes etc. They (NAB) finally confirmed in writing
that they could not find anything wrong and the investigation
was closed," Tareen said.
He said: "My entire career has been
absolutely clean and my general reputation of a clean
person is widely accepted." Mushahid Hussain told
that the then prosecutor-general of NAB, Farooq Adam,
had told Justice Nawaz Abbasi of the Lahore High Court
on January 25, 2000, that the bureau had no case against
him and he was not in NAB custody.
Earlier, the Prime Minister Secretariat
had sought a report from the NAB after the Senate Secretariat
called for a report on a question of a PPPP Senator Farhatullah
Khan Babar. Babar had sought the present status of cases
against the three federal ministers. He had also asked
whether the NAB had registered any case against ministers
of state, advisors and chairmen of the standing committee
of the National Assembly or Senate and if so what is the
nature and present status of the cases.
According to the NAB report, Faisal Saleh
Hayat is facing the allegation of wilful default and his
case is under trial in the accountability court in Lahore.
The NAB has accused Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of misuse
of authority, corruption and corrupt practices. According
to the report Sherpao was accused of allotment of 100
plots in phases III, VI, VII Hayatabad, Peshawar, by Ehtasab
Bureau of Nawaz Sharif on September 4, 1997. The case
was later transferred to NAB.
The court found Sherpao guilty of misuse
of power and corruption and finally sentenced him that
was later set aside by the Peshawar High Court. However,
the NAB said its appeal is pending in the Supreme Court
of Pakistan.
Another case against Aftab Ahmed Khan
Shepao was framed on charges of corruption and corrupt
practices. The case was framed against him on July 5,
1997, and was being heard in Accountability Court, Rawalpindi.
Sherpao and others have been accused of
causing wrongful loss of Rs 209 million to the State Life
Insurance Corporation by misappropriation of that amount
through corruption and corrupt practices.
NAB said former federal minister and ex-political
advisor to PM Jamali, Rana Nazir Ahmed is also facing
a reference in the accountability court for misuse of
authority and assets beyond known sources.
NAB said it had filed a case against Federal
Minister for Industries and Production Jhangir Tareen
for misuse of authority but the case was closed after
it could not find any thing against him.
Likewise, NAB said it had registered a
case of corruption and misuse of power against federal
Minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi on February 25, 2000. However,
the case was closed some four years later on April 25,
2004.
Another case of misuse of power against
Liaqat Jatoi was closed that was registered on December
29, 1999. He was cleared of two corruption charges by
NAB when he was serving as minister in the government
of former PM Jamali.
The NAB said it had also registered a
case against ruling party Senator Sarwar Khan Kakar, who
is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government
and Rural Development. The case was registered on October
4, 2000, on charges of assets beyond known sources. The
case is still under process.
NAB said it had also closed the case against
PML Secretary-General Syed Mushahid Hussain, who is also
chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
and Northern Areas.
