NAB noose tightens around JUI-F leader’s neck – Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As the date of & # 39; Azadi March & # 39; of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), the National Responsibility Office (NAB) appears to be tightening the knot around the neck of its leader Akram Khan Durrani in a case of alleged illegal appointments in the Department of Public Works of Pakistan as the anti-graft agency implicated PWD director Deneral Shahid Farzand on Monday in the matter.

Farzand had requested bail before the arrest of the Islamabad High Court in an investigation related to induction in the PWD when Akram Durrani was a federal housing and construction minister.

Surprisingly, when the case took place on Monday, Farzand was not in the courtroom. His lawyer informed the court that his client had been advised not to appear before NAB until the IHC resumed his bond.

Farzand had appeared before a research team at the regional NAB address of Rawalpindi and his mobile phone had been off since morning. The lawyer said it seemed that the NAB authorities had arrested his client.

The IHC division bank comprising Judge Aamer Farooq and Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani asked the lawyer if he wanted to turn his request into a bail request after arrest.

General Director of PWD, where "illegal" appointments were made, involved in the case

The lawyer replied that he was not in contact with his client. Later, with the permission of the court, he withdrew the bail petition.

"In case he [Farzand] Survive, you can file the petition again, "Judge Farooq said.

However, NAB sources said Farzand was allowed to leave after a thorough interrogation, as the office was giving the suspects full opportunity to defend them.

Farzand's lawyer, Shah Khawar, said it was a routine practice for NAB to wait for a final court order after being informed about filing a bail petition prior to arrest.

However, he said that after presenting to NAB his client did not contact him to file a new petition.

Being the then chief engineer, Farzand was in charge of recruiting in BS-1 to 15 in the PWD.

In his request for bail, Mr. Farzand said that he had invited applications for appointments in different positions on April 12, 2017, and that the Ministry of Housing and Works had hired the "Employment Testing Service" as a consultant for carry out the written test.

He said the ministry had set up two committees, one of them headed by him and made up of the vice secretary and administrative director of the PWD finalized the appointments.

Farzand said he received a call notice under Section 19 of the National Responsibility Ordinance, 1999, entitled "investigation against Akram Durrani, federal housing and works minister, officers, officials of the Ministry of Housing and Works, administration of JTS and others".

The petitioner said he had received the call notice on October 9 and appeared before the NAB authorities. He said that the NAB authorities appreciated him for extending cooperation and gave the impression that the matter had been resolved.

But he later learned that PWD administrative chief Mukhtar Badshah Khattak was arrested on October 16, so he appreciated that he could also be arrested.

Farzand said it had nothing to do with the testing process or the scrutiny of documents, since the nomination process began before he was published as general director of the PWD.

The petitioner said that the testing service, together with the Ministry of Housing and Works, was responsible for analyzing the requests and, as chairman of the committee, worked with honesty and dedication. He alleged that NAB was acting against him with malice and prejudice to harass him and his family members.

The petitioner requested the court to grant bail before arrest and order NAB to place the information related to the pending investigation before the IHC.

Posted on Dawn, October 22, 2019