Court summons Punjab minister in corruption case

LAHORE (TLTP): An accountability court on Monday summoned Punjab minister Sibtain Khan and other accused in connection with the Chiniot minerals’

corruption case.

The accountability court issued notices to six accused in Chiniot minerals’ corruption case. Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry heard the corruption reference against Sibtain and others filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The judge directed all accused to appear in the hearing on January 14.

On December 31 last year, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption reference against Punjab Minister for Forestry, Sibtain Khan in a case related to financial irregularities in Chiniot mining contract.

Punjab’s minister Sibtain and others are facing charges of misusing power while issuing mining contracts which gave financial dent to the national exchequer up to billions, according to the corruption reference of NAB.

Sibtain Khan along with seven others namely, Salman Ghani, Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Sattar Mian, Imtiaz Ahmed Cheema had been named in the reference by the NAB. The reference comprises 500 pages and two folders.

The PTI leader is allegedly involved in handing out illegal tenders on favouritism while being minister for Mines and Minerals. He was previously a member of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) before joining the PTI. Earlier, he had been released after furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs5 million with two sureties over the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on September 28 last year.