NAB approves inquiry against Defence Minister Pervez Khattak

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approved a graft inquiry against Defence Minister Pervez Khattak while providing no details regarding the case.

According to an official notification released on Wednesday, inquiries against Khattak along with Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar were approved.

Although the bureau gave an approval for the inquiry against Khattak, no details were present in the notification.

Khattak served as the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the PTI-led government from 2013 to 2017. He is presently heading the Ministry of Defence in the centre.

NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal presided over an executive board session in which he gave approval for the inquiry of 14 different cases.

The notification stated that approval for action against several others was also given, including renowned industrialist Iqbal Z Ahmed.

The session also approved the filing of reference against Abdul Wali Khan University Vice Chancellor Dr Ahsan Ali and former KP minister Nawabzada Mahmood Zeb.

The bureau has also approved the filing of reference against former Balochistan food minister Izhar Hussain.

On this occasion, the NAB chairman assured that solving mega corruption cases was the priority of the bureau and they are following the policy of ‘accountability for everyone’.

AWAN RESIGNS OVER INVOLVEMENT IN NANDIPUR REFERENCE:

On Friday, soon after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a corruption reference against him on Tuesday, PTI leader Dr Babar Awan announced that he had resigned from the post of adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs.

“Upholding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise with the nation, I resign from the post of adviser to PM on parliamentary affairs so that I may disprove allegations levelled [against me] in the NAB reference,” read Babar’s resignation letter.

Meanwhile, sources informed Pakistan Today that Babar’s resignation was not voluntary rather he had been told to do so by the prime minister.

The NAB had filed a corruption reference against Babar regarding prolonged delay in the Nandipur Project. The delay was caused during the tenure of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led government in the Centre from 2008 to 2013, with Babar then serving as the minister for law and justice.