News Desk |
PTI’s senior Punjab Minister and party veteran Aleem Khan has been arrested by the national accountability bureau (NAB) in Lahore today (Wednesday). The senior minister had appeared before NAB in a case pertaining to owing assets beyond known sources of income and an offshore company scandal.
As per details, the answers of the minister failed to satisfy the NAB officials during the inquiry of cases subsequently, leading to his arrest.
As per media reports, Aleem Khan has sent his resignation to Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar following his detention by NAB.
The NAB had opened a probe against Aleem in Hexam Investment Overseas Limited, an off-shore company. He was also facing investigations into the Park View Housing Society.
The PTI government had been severely criticized for having issued Aleem Khan a ticket and then including him in the Punjab cabinet owing to the ongoing cases against the minister.
Mr. Aleem Khan had appeared before the accountability bureau today for the fourth time in the case related to the offshore company and one owing asset more than means of income. According to Aleem’s nomination papers submitted for the recently held elections, Mr. Aleem holds total assets worth Rs918 million.
Aleem Khan is the current Provincial Minister of Punjab for Local Government and Community Development and has been in office since 27 August 2018.
Previously he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab from 2003 to 2007 and served as Provincial Minister of Punjab for Information Technology for the same period.
Read more: Asif Ali Zardari’s Sindh card won’t work anymore, claims Aleem Khan
The PTI government had been severely criticized for having issued Aleem Khan a ticket and then including him in the Punjab cabinet owing to the ongoing cases against the minister.
But analysts opine, it represents the neutral stance of government on accountability and strengthens believe that NAB, in fact, is working independently with no political pressure as even sitting ministers of PTI are prone to the investigation.
Also appreciable is the fact that unlike previous regimes, ministers and leaders of PTI government as soon as the investigation of any nature is launched against them resign from their post, paying their moral responsibility.
Earlier, in September last year, Babar Awan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs resigned from his post as NAB filed a reference against him over Nandipur scam. Moreover, Azam Swati, Federal Minister for Science and Technology also resigned to uphold moral authority when the Supreme Court took a suo motu notice of a case pertaining to ‘illegal’ transfer of former Islamabad inspector general Jan Muhammad.
Now, following the ethical tradition, as soon as NAB arrested Aleem Khan, he also resigned from the ministry. He will be presented in the accountability court tomorrow, as per NAB.