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Tag: NAB

  • NAB Approves Rs513m Plea Bargain in Kohistan Scandal

    NAB Approves Rs513m Plea Bargain in Kohistan Scandal

    An accountability court in Peshawar has approved a plea bargain of Rs513.138 million in the Kohistan scandal, 24NewsHD reported on Friday.

    The accused, Musharraf Shah, a former bank cashier, admitted to having earned ill-gotten money worth Rs490.23 million, with a profit of Rs200.7 million, according to the report. The court, under Section 15 of the plea bargain, ordered the release of the accused after he deposited the penalty, and observed that he would be treated as a convicted and disqualified person.

    Under Sections 9(a) and 15 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, an approved plea bargain results in a conviction record, mandatory discharge from liability upon surrendering the proceeds of crime, and lifelong disqualification from holding public office.

    The Kohistan scandal involves the alleged embezzlement of more than Rs37 billion from the contractors’ security deposit head of account, G-10113, in the Upper Kohistan district accounts office. According to investigators, treasury cheques were issued for fake development projects, with no actual work carried out. The main accused is Qaiser Iqbal, a head clerk in the communication and works department, and more than 40 people have been arrested in the case so far.

    According to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sources, corruption amounting to more than Rs45 billion was allegedly committed in the scandal, of which around Rs30 billion has so far been recovered. A series of plea bargains has been approved in the case in recent months, including a Rs4.05 billion recovery from Mumtaz Khan, described as a frontman of the main accused, and a Rs409.6 million plea bargain by Hareeq Ahmad, who served as an operations manager at a private bank in Dasu, Kohistan. An accountability court also approved a Rs38.05 million plea bargain by a private contractor, Saran Zeb, earlier this year. The Peshawar High Court has also issued a notice to NAB over the arrest of an accused despite his plea bargain request, in a writ petition filed by Muhammad Riaz.

    The plea bargain approved on Friday is the latest in the case, in which NAB has described the recoveries as among the largest in its history. The accused will now stand disqualified from public office for life under the law.

  • NAB Summons Asad Mahmood Again on 13 November

    NAB Summons Asad Mahmood Again on 13 November

    The National Accountability Bureau has issued a second call-up notice to former federal minister Asad Mahmood, declaring his written reply unsatisfactory and directing him to appear in person on Friday, 13 November.

    According to the notice, Mahmood has been summoned to appear before NAB’s Combined Investigation Team at its office in G-6, Islamabad, at 11am to record his statement. The notice warns that legal action may be taken under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, if he fails to appear.

    The inquiry concerns alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan Post Office Department during Mahmood’s tenure as federal minister for communications and postal services in 2022 and 2023. Mahmood is the son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

    What the inquiry is about

    Mahmood was first directed to appear before NAB on 10 November. He did not attend and instead sent a written reply through his lawyer, which NAB officials have now declared unsatisfactory. The bureau is examining allegations that appointments were made in Pakistan Post beyond the posts that had been approved.

    According to the NAB notice, the Establishment Division had authorised recruitment against 3,938 vacancies in the Pakistan Post Office, but 4,252 people were appointed. The bureau is also examining appointments made against 2,646 posts that had already been abolished, in violation of directions issued by a cabinet committee.

    The Federal Investigation Agency is running a parallel inquiry into the same matter. Its Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad had already summoned Mahmood to appear on 2 November, in inquiry number 197 of 2026, to record his statement about the recruitment process. The FIA notice was issued on 30 October under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

    Mahmood served as federal minister for communications and postal services in the previous coalition government of 2022 and 2023, the period now under scrutiny. The summonses were first reported by senior journalist Gharidah Farooqi, and the second notice follows days of speculation about whether he would attend in person or respond in writing.

    The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established as proven wrongdoing. No formal statement from Mahmood about the latest notice has been reported. All eyes will now be on whether he appears before the investigation team on Friday, and what he says when he does.

  • FIA Declares Asad Mahmood Defaulter in Pakistan Post Case

    FIA Declares Asad Mahmood Defaulter in Pakistan Post Case

    The Federal Investigation Agency has declared Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Asad Mahmood a deliberate defaulter and an absconder from its investigation, after he failed to appear before investigators despite being formally summoned. The move marks a sharp escalation in the probe into alleged illegal recruitments at Pakistan Post.

    The FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle has recommended placing Asad Mahmood’s name on the Provisional National Identification List and the stop list, which would restrict his travel. FIA officials have also recommended converting the ongoing inquiry into a formal criminal case and registering a first information report under the relevant legal provisions.

    The agency had summoned Asad Mahmood on 2 November to appear in connection with its investigation into alleged illegal appointments in Pakistan Post. However, he failed to appear before the investigators. The FIA has launched inquiry number 197/2026 into alleged serious irregularities and corruption in recruitment at Pakistan Post.

    The National Accountability Bureau is pursuing a parallel inquiry. NAB Rawalpindi has directed Asad Mahmood to appear before an investigation team at 11am on 10 November 2026. The bureau has warned that failure to comply with the summons could lead to proceedings under Section 31 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

    The investigation centres on alleged irregularities in Pakistan Post during 2022 and 2023, when Asad Mahmood was the federal minister for communications. According to the NAB notice, the Establishment Division had approved recruitment against 3,938 posts in Pakistan Post, but 4,252 people were allegedly hired, taking recruitment beyond the approved strength.

    The notice further alleges that 2,646 appointments were made against posts that had already been abolished, in breach of instructions from a cabinet committee. The inquiry is also examining whether recruitment was carried out without proper testing and screening, and whether reserved quotas for women, minorities, persons with disabilities and former servicemen were violated.

    Asad Mahmood is the son of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and legal proceedings are also under way against Fazlur Rehman, Asad Mahmood and other party leaders in corruption-related and other cases. The matters remain allegations under investigation, and a summons or an inquiry is not a finding of guilt. No response from Asad Mahmood to the latest FIA action had been reported.

  • NAB summons Asad Mahmood for November 10 hearing

    NAB summons Asad Mahmood for November 10 hearing

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has summoned former federal minister for communications Asad Mahmood in connection with alleged irregularities at the Pakistan Post Office.

    Mr Mahmood has been directed to appear before the investigation team at 11am on November 10, 2026, according to the reports. The summons relates to his tenure as minister for communications, when the alleged irregularities are said to have taken place.

    The investigation concerns alleged illegal appointments at the Pakistan Post Office in 2022 and 2023. Mr Mahmood is also facing allegations of approving illegal promotions within the organisation during the same period.

    It is important to stress that these are allegations at the investigation stage. A summons to appear before investigators is not a finding of guilt, and no court verdict has been reported in connection with these claims. Mr Mahmood will have the opportunity to present his position to the investigation team when he appears.

    Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad had also summoned Mr Mahmood in the same matter. A notice issued on October 30, 2026, directed him to appear at 11am on November 2, 2026, to record his statement.

    The FIA has launched inquiry number 197 of 2026 into alleged serious irregularities and corruption in recruitment at the Pakistan Post Office. The existence of parallel inquiries by two agencies reflects the overlapping mandates of NAB and the FIA in cases involving public-sector appointments and alleged misuse of authority.

    Pakistan Post is one of the country’s oldest public institutions, with a large workforce spread across the country. Appointments and promotions within such an organisation are governed by rules on eligibility, seniority and approval procedures, and departures from those rules can become the subject of accountability proceedings.

    Illegal appointment cases typically turn on detailed questions: whether posts were advertised, whether candidates met the required qualifications, whether selection committees followed procedure, and whether approvals were properly recorded. Investigators examine files and records to test each of those points, and the process can take months.

    For Mr Mahmood, the November 10 appearance will be a formal step in the NAB inquiry. Investigators may ask him to explain decisions taken during his time as minister, to identify who recommended particular appointments, and to produce or confirm documents relating to those decisions.

    The case is likely to attract political attention, given Mr Mahmood’s former ministerial role. Accountability proceedings against former ministers are closely watched in Pakistan, where supporters of those summoned often describe the cases as politically motivated, while accountability bodies insist they follow evidence and procedure.

    No response from Mr Mahmood to the NAB summons has been reported in the accounts published so far. Whether he appears on November 10, seeks more time, or challenges the summons will become clear on the day.

    Further developments are expected after the November 10 appearance, when it should become clearer whether the inquiry moves towards a reference, is closed, or continues with further questioning and record-checking.

  • JIT: Hafeez Shaikh alleged mastermind of Constitution One

    JIT: Hafeez Shaikh alleged mastermind of Constitution One

    The federal government has approved a joint investigation team (JIT) report into alleged fraud and irregularities in Islamabad’s One Constitution Avenue project, naming businessman Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as the alleged mastermind behind the scandal.

    Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told a joint press conference on Wednesday that the federal cabinet had approved the JIT report, which found the project had been executed through manipulation of the bidding process, unauthorised relaxation of rules and suspicious documentation. He said Shaikh had been identified as the alleged mastermind, along with several former Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials and other individuals, including Kamran Lashari, Dr Faisal Awan, Azhar Ali Chaudhry, Brigadier Nusrat Ullah and the late Rai Nawaz Kharal.

    According to the report, 254 apartments in the project were sold through 99-year sub-leases even though the project had been approved as a hotel with serviced apartments. Iqbal said Shaikh’s company had been blacklisted from future public-sector projects, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Shaikh’s name was on the Exit Control List.

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also oversees the CDA, announced that the One Constitution Avenue building would be converted into a five-star hotel within the next few months. He said the government would present the JIT’s findings to the public and ensure the recovery of any illegally occupied land without favour.

    The government has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the roles of those involved, with a reference to be filed against those found responsible within three months. Tarar said the NAB investigation would be conducted strictly on merit and completed on an expedited basis, followed by the trial process.

    Ministers also stressed that genuine buyers would be protected. The JIT recommended that the CDA compensate bona fide apartment buyers through refunds of their principal amounts, together with interest linked to the Karachi Interbank Offered Rate or an inflation adjustment, noting that the authority had collected fees before disclaiming responsibility.

    The controversy dates back to the mid-2000s, when the CDA auctioned the land for about Rs4.8 billion for a five-star hotel. The developer later failed to meet its financial obligations, and in 2019 the Supreme Court ordered payment of Rs17.5 billion in instalments over eight years, of which only about Rs2.9 billion had been deposited, according to reports earlier this year.

  • NAB summons Asad Mahmood on 10 November over Pakistan Post hiring

    NAB summons Asad Mahmood on 10 November over Pakistan Post hiring

    The National Accountability Bureau has summoned former federal minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asad Mahmood to appear on 10 November, in an inquiry into alleged illegal appointments in Pakistan Post.

    According to the report, the inquiry covers alleged irregularities in appointments made between 2022 and 2025, during Mahmood’s tenure as Communications Minister. The report says he had also appeared before NAB previously in connection with the same appointments issue.

    No finding or charge is stated in the report. A summons in an inquiry is a step in an investigation, not a verdict, and this report does not present the allegations as proven facts. The distinction matters, because accountability proceedings in Pakistan often run for a long time before any conclusion is reached.

    Pakistan Post is one of the country’s oldest public institutions, with a network reaching across the country. Appointments within such a large organisation carry particular significance, because the workforce is spread across provinces and districts and because hiring decisions affect public services in many communities.

    The period covered by the inquiry, 2022 to 2025, spans Mahmood’s time as Communications Minister, the portfolio under which Pakistan Post falls. The inquiry therefore focuses on decisions taken during his tenure, rather than on appointments made before or after it.

    Mahmood’s previous appearance before NAB in connection with the same issue suggests that the inquiry has been under way for some time. His appearance on 10 November will be the next step in that process, and it will be watched for any indication of how the inquiry proceeds from here.

    For the PPP, the summons comes at a politically sensitive time, with the party in government at the centre and its leaders active in national politics. Party figures facing accountability inquiries often argue that such proceedings are politically motivated, while accountability bodies maintain that they act on evidence. This report does not take a position on either claim, and records only what has been reported about the summons itself.

    What happens after 10 November will depend on the course of the inquiry. Until NAB issues further information, the public record consists of the summons, the period under inquiry, and the fact of the previous appearance, and no more should be read into it than that.