News Analysis |
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in connection with an ongoing inquiry against the alleged misuse of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopters for private visits by the PTI chief.
According to the details, the NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had in February this year directed the bureau’s KP director general to conduct an inquiry against the PTI chief and then-KP chief minister Pervez Khattak over unofficial use of two government helicopters — MI-17 and Ecureuil — by misusing authority.
A press release issued by the bureau had stated that there is documentary evidence that Khan paid Rs 2.1 million for using an Mi-17 and an Ecureuil helicopter belonging to the KP government for a total of 74 hours, which amounts to Rs 28,000 spent for every hour the helicopters were used.
NAB’s order to Imran Khan to appear before the team to explain his position is demonstrative of the watchdog’s zero-tolerance for corruption policy. It also reflects the unbiased attitude of the NAB officials towards any political party.
The NAB report claims that had Khan used a private company’s choppers, it would have cost him an hourly fare of between Rs1m and Rs1.2m for the Mi-17, and between Rs0.5m and Rs0.6m for the Ecureuil.
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It is important to note the NAB has been making all efforts to ensure across the broad accountability for last a few months. Several bureaucrats who were once considered to be the personal friends of the former ruling party have been arrested and interrogated in connection to connection corruption cases.
Apart from references against the Sharif family, NAB has been working on 179 high-profile mega corruption cases. The purpose is to bring back the looted money. Recently, the NAB chairman has, however, announced that politicians shall not be arrested until the general elections so that they are may be no conspiracy theory, alleging the watchdog of pre-poll rigging.
The NAB report claims that had Khan used a private company’s choppers, it would have cost him an hourly fare of between Rs1m and Rs1.2m for the Mi-17, and between Rs0.5m and Rs0.6m for the Ecureuil.
Political parties are not happy over what the watchdog is currently doing. The parties want the NAB to be restrained and limited to investigate small-scale corruption case.
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The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is particularly not happy with what the NAB is doing at the moment. The NAB’s inquiry and arrest of a senior bureaucrat Ahed Cheema from Punjab not only displeased the party but it also triggered an anti-NAB stance by the senior leaders of PML-N like Rana Sana Ullah. But the NAB chairman is determined to deal with all mega corruption cases as soon as possible without being feared or pressurized.
NAB’s order to Imran Khan to appear before the team to explain his position is demonstrative of the watchdog’s zero-tolerance for corruption policy. It also reflects the unbiased attitude of the NAB officials towards any political party.