Moalims

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.
Read: Education officer denied bail in corruption case
The report, which was filed by senior prosecutor Obaidullah Abro, stated that bail plea of the ex-minister is premature since the NAB chief on June 5 had authorised the Complaint Verification. However, the proceedings for Complaints Verification are pending with the investigation officer concerned, it added.
The report stated that the accountability bureau is not causing any victimisation at the behest of any political influence, as alleged by Pir Mazhar 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 has been collected in the shape of bribe.
The report stated that the petition of Haq may be dismissed for being pre-mature.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Shahadat Awan, sought time to go through the NAB report and file a reply to it.
Allowing the request till August 6, the SHC bench extended the bail before arrest earlier granted to the former minister till the next date of hearing.
Bail granted
Meanwhile, the same bench granted protective bail in 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 education and others had fraudulently created fake and fabricated code in the name of Aroosa Kaleem, Syed Naveed Jamil and others to show legitimacy of the fake account holders.
Read: NAB authorises probe into different cases
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 till July 23 the pre-arrest bail granted to the PPP Minister for Population Welfare, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, in connection with the NAB inquiry regarding alleged misuse of powers and embezzlement of public funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2015.