Karachi: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is verifying a complaint against the former Sindh education minister, Pir Mazharul Haq, and others who allegedly earned up to Rs13 billion from 13,000 ‘bogus’ appointments in the education department.
This was disclosed in a report submitted on behalf of the NAB authorities before a division bench of the Sindh High Court, which was hearing an application of the former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) minister in the alleged fake appointments case.
The report, filed by senior prosecutor Obaidullah Abro, stated that the ex-minister’s bail plea is premature since the NAB chief authorised the complaint verification on June 5. However, the proceedings for Complaint Verification are pending with the investigation officer concerned, it added.
The report stated that the accountability bureau is not causing victimisation at the behest of any political influence, as Pir Mazhar alleged in his bail plea.
NAB disclosed that the complaint related to the bogus appointments of 13,000 teachers in the education department, and reportedly, Rs5.6 billion to Rs13 billion was collected as a bribe.
The report stated that the petition of Haq may be dismissed for being premature.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Shahadat Awan, sought time to go through the NAB report and file a reply to it.
Allowing the request until August 6, the SHC bench extended the bail before arrest earlier granted to the former minister until the next hearing date.
Bail granted
Meanwhile, the same bench granted protective bail in the sum of Rs50,000 to the former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s Director Education, Syed Khurum Arif Ali Shah, for 10 days to surrender before the trial court in connection with ‘ghost’ employees’ salaries embezzlement case.
The prosecution alleged that the ex-director of education and others had fraudulently created fake and fabricated code in the names of Aroosa Kaleem, Syed Naveed Jamil and others to show the legitimacy of the fake account holders.
Advocate Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi said the investigating agency charged his client with misappropriating Rs7,400,000 in the head of salaries of the ghost employees, which is not yet proven.
PPP minister’s bail extended
The court extended the pre-arrest bail granted to the PPP Minister for Population Welfare, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, until July 23 in connection with the NAB inquiry regarding alleged misuse of powers and embezzlement of public funds.
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