Punjab minister Aleem Khan taken into custody by NAB

lahore — Pakistan’s anti-corruption body says it has arrested a member of the ruling party who is a senior minister in Punjab province.

The National Accountability Bureau announced the arrest on Wednesday of the minister for local bodies, Abdul Aleem Khan, in Lahore. It says he was arrested over charges of “possessing assets beyond his known sources”.

Khan resigned his post, vowing to fight the charges and denying any wrongdoing.

Khan faces multiple inquiries, including one involving offshore company Hexam Investment Overseas Ltd, one for owning assets beyond his known sources of income, and inquiries into his involvement in the Park View Housing Society, River Age Housing Society, and Multan Road.

According to a NAB Press release, the minister would be produced before a NAB court on Thursday for remand, it added.

The press release alleged that Aleem Khan had misused his authority as general secretary of the Park View Housing Society and as a past member of the provincial assembly, abusing his position to acquire assets beyond his known sources of income.

Khan had started a real state business in which he invested tens of millions of rupees. He bought 900 kanals of land and a further 600 kanals of land through a company set up for this purpose, A&A Private Ltd.

However, according to the NAB, the PTI leader was unable to show the sources of income with which he purchased the land.

The NAB also alleged that Khan set up offshore companies in 2005 and 2006, using them to purchase assets that cannot be explained by his means.

The bureau had earlier summoned him twice in the case but he failed to convince the accountability watchdog. Later, the NAB asked him for more records and documents in the case.

An investigation officer said that the bureau had found that the accused owned many flats in the UAE and the UK.

The NAB stated that Aleem Khan’s arrest was precipitated after they found evidence of tampering in official records. It added that an investigation of his personal and ‘benami’ assets will continue as per the law.

The NAB Lahore’s director dismissed the ‘favourites’ rhetoric and said the bureau was working in the national interest without bias.

“Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has directed the NAB to take action against corrupt elements. All mega corruption cases are being dealt with on merit and will reach their logical conclusion.”

Meanwhile, Punjab’s Information Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan has said the NAB had taken the PTI minister into custody for investigations, adding that no reference had been instituted against him as yet.

Replying to a question, he said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif should step down as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly as a reference against him had also been filed by the NAB.

Chohan said the PTI always stood on high moral grounds and pointed out that party’s senior leader Babar Awan resigned as adviser after a reference was filed against him.

Aleem Khan’s arrest is a setback for Prime Minister Imran Khan, who came to power in last year’s parliamentary elections.

Imran Khan had campaigned on promises of clean governance after his predecessor, prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was removed from office over corruption allegations. Sharif has also denied any wrongdoing.—