PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Mines and Minerals Development Ziaullah Afridi was sent on 13-days physical remand in custody of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.
The commission had apprehended the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Minister, Ziaullah Afridi on July 9. KP minister was accused of accumulating illegal assets and unfair distribution of tenders. The alleged accused was presented before the court here on Friday. The prosecutor said that Afridi has been accused of causing national treasury a loss worth Rs 150 billion. He further accused the minister of carrying out illegal posting and transfers of officials.
Talking to the media after his hearing here on Friday, Afridi hurled a barrage of accusations on KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. He said that he is being targeted for not supporting Qaumi Watan Party (QWP). This is not an accountability commission but “Pervez commission,” he added. The KP police barred the minister from talking to the media however, failed to contain his supporters. Afridi’s supporters raised slogans against KP CM Pervez Khattak.
Personnel of the commission took Afridi into custody from his residence on Thursday, he is a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and MPA from Peshawar,. The minister is accused of misusing authority and allowing illegal mining in various areas.
Meanwhile, another AC remanded KP’s former minister Mehmood Zeb and nine others in the custody of National Accountability Bureau for 12 days.
PPP’s former Provincial Minister Mehmood Zeb and the other accused were presented before the accountability court amid strict security measures.
NAB officials had requested for a 15-day remand of the suspects on charges of misuse of authority and other corruption charges. The NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alleged that Mahmood Zeb, who was a leader of PPP and was provincial Minister for Technical Education, Industries and Mineral Department in the previous provincial government, in connivance with the other nine suspects had misused his authority in illegal allotment of 500 acres of proven deposit of phosphate to a female school teacher, Rukhsana Javed, who illegally excavated phosphate in collaboration with the first cousin of the minister Ehtishamul Mulk and jointly caused a loss of Rs360 million to the national exchequer.
The other nine suspects in the case are the then secretary technical education and minerals, Shah Wali Khan; the then additional secretary of the department, Asamtullah Khan Ghandapur, presently serving as commissioner Bannu division; a section officer, Farhad Ali; a deputy director of the department, Khan Badshah; a geologist at the directorate of mines and minerals, Nauroze Khan; a senior inspector of mines presently serving as commissioner mines, Ziarat Khan; the then director licensing of minerals department, Shakirullah; an assistant director (litigation) of mineral department, Pervaiz Khan; and an assistant director, Ehtishamul Mulk.
NAB said that the inquiry revealed that the Sarhad Development Authority held 1200 acres of phosphate reservoirs under the 1985-2005 mining lease.