BOK, Malam Jabba BTTAP scams: PHC inquired regarding closure of inquiry against Khattak

Humayun Khan

PESHAWAR: A divisional bench of Peshawar High Court comprising of Justice Rooh-ul-Amin and Justice Ibrahim Khan directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit Executive Board Meeting minutes regarding closure of investigation in Malam Jabba scandal, on Friday.
During hearing counsel for petitioner Ali Gohar Durrani Advocate, Deputy Prosecutor General Azeem Dad and Additional Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Muhammad Ali appeared before court in writ petition of Dr. Adil Zareef regarding Billion tree tsunami, Bus Rapid Transit Malam Jabba scandal and recruitment in Bank of Khyber at PHC.
NAB’s prosecutor informed PHC that a reference has initiated at Accountability court in Billion Tree Tsunami Project while three other references shall be concluded and it would be proceed as per law.
The NAB’s prosecutors further added that the bureau has filed initial investigative report regarding irregularities in BRT project and report was submitted before PHC but provincial government had obtained status quo in the case from Supreme Court while it is still under proceeding before Apex Court, however court observed that action should be taken in case after Supreme Court’s decision.
The NAB’s prosecutors further argued that initial report has submitted to State Bank of Pakistan in recruitment at Bank of Khyber while Barrister Mudasir Amir informed PHC that similar writ is before the same court and requested to cliff the identical case and argued that separate hearing of the case may hurt interest of other applicants, however honorable ordered combining of identical case together.
During hearing court inquired about laws under which Malam Jabba Scam was closed against former Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and others while NAB’s prosecutor informed that the inquiry was closed due to lack of concrete evidence by NAB Executive Board which was rectified by Accountability Court Peshawar.
However, Justice Rooh-ul-Amin directed to produce Executive Board Meeting minutes that court should analyze under which law it was closed while NAB’s prosecutor argued that minutes of Executive Board Meeting are secret documents it may not be produce before court.
The divisional bench rejected NAB’s entitlement regarding Executive Board Meeting as secret and declared it public documents while directed to submit minute before court and adjourned further hearing.