FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Wednesday decided to file a corruption reference against former President Asif Ali Zardari and others in the Park Lane case.

The decision to this effect was taken at the NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by Chairman NAB former Justice Javed Iqbal. According to the NAB, Zardari and others had allegedly embezzled funds obtained for M/S Parthenon Private Limited and M/S Park Lane Private Limited, which inflicted losses of Rs 3.77 billion to the national exchequer.

According to the joint investigation team (JIT), Park Lane Estate Company, a Karachi-based firm, was incorporated on October 18, 1979. In 1989, Zardari acquired the company along with his ‘front man’ Iqbal Memon. In 2009, Zardari, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Iqbal Memon and others became shareholders of the company.

As per the JIT report, it was found out that the M/S Parthenon was merely a ‘front company’ (straw borrower) of M/S Park Lane Private Limited. M/S Parthenon had no independent business when it entered into a joint venture (JV) with the M/S Park Lane (October 2009), it said.

According to an official of NAB, the board also approved filling of three other corruption references in the accountability courts. The EBM okayed filling of references against Sardar Hayat Khan Mandokhel of M/s Exceed Private Limited and others. The accused allegedly committed corruption which inflicted a loss of Rs 455.7444 million on the national kitty, he added.

The official said that the board also decided to file a reference against Director General Health Services Dr Ayub and others. He further said that the accused by misusing authority allegedly awarded contract of medicines for dengue control to the blue-eyed persons which caused a loss of Rs 70 million to the national exchequer.

He said that the NAB has also decided to file corruption reference against Managing Director Punjab Mass Transit Authority Sibtain Fazal Halim and others. The accused persons by misusing authority allegedly estimated Multan Metro Bus during feasibility study against the facts and illegally awarded contracts while cost of the project escalated due to delay which caused losses of Rs 770 million to the national exchequer.

The official said the board also approved eight corruption investigations against different people including PPP’s Senator Usman Saifullah and his family members including Anwar Saifullah, Saleem Saifullah, Humayun Saifullah, Muhammad Sadiq Ali Imrani, former PHA department Balochistan, Manzoor Qadir, former DG Sindh Building Control Authority Karachi, and others.

He said the EBM has also an lunched six corruption inquiries against different people including Akram Khan Durrani, former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, MNA Azam Khan Durrani and Irfan Durrani.