National Party to hold internal probe of legislators after mega corruption scandal revealed

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National Party, a coalition partner in the Balochistan government, on Sunday launched a self-accountability campaign against its lawmakers following the mega corruption scandal unearthed last week in which bags full of money were recovered from the house of the provincial finance secretary.

“We have launched self-accountability of our legislators after this scandal,” National Party President Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo announced at a press conference in the provincial capital.

He was flanked by former Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Mir Tahir Bizenjo and other party leaders.

The decision by the National Party to make the assets of party parliamentarians public was taken during the hurriedly-called Central Committee meeting held on Sunday morning, Bizenjo said.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered bags full of local and foreign currencies from the residence of Balochistan former secretary finance Mushtaq Raisani.

Following the recovery of money, finance adviser to Balochistan chief minister Mir Khalid Langove, who also belongs to the National Party, tendered resignation from his post till the completion of probe into the mega corruption scandal.

In response to a question, Senator Bizenjo informed that Langove was in contact with him and “he would appear before NAB within the next couple of days”.

NAB has already issued two notices to Mir Khalid Langove to appear before the Bureau and answer questions regarding the corruption scandal.

The party has also formed an Accountability Commission comprising Mir Tahir Bizenjo, Senator Mir Kabir Muhammad Shahi and Jan Muhammad Buledi to investigate the assets of legislators.

“We have been fighting against corruption but now, for the first time, we are facing charges of corruption,” Senator Bizenjo lamented.

He, however, pointed out, “We are wearing white clothes but our political opponents are wearing black clothes; therefore, stains on our clothes are visible from quite far away.”

Former chief minister Dr Malik Baloch, while lashing out at the opposition, said everyone knows who made allotments of land in the past.

“No corruption charge can be proven against me,” he announced, rejecting the impression about selling out of gold and copper project of Reko Diq.

Earlier, NAB recovered more than Rs 730 million from the residence of Balochistan finance secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani.

Following Raisani’s arrest and the recovery of embezzled money, provincial finance adviser Khalid Langove immediately offered his resignation from the post.

Khalid Langove said that he resigned because his department is facing such grave allegations of corruption and foul play that it does not morally allow him to stay in his post.

However, Langove has been missing in action since then and also failed to appear before NAB despite notices served to him twice.