The Accountability Court on Tuesday granted National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 13-day physical remand of senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal Sport City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam.
The anti-graft body arrested Iqbal on December 23 after he allegedly failed to satisfy NAB officials during investigations with respect to NSCCP case. The NAB official produced him before the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir and requested the court to grant 14-day physical remand of the accused in order to conduct further investigations from him.
The NAB prosecutor during the hearing read out grounds of arrest of Iqbal. According to the grounds of arrest, Iqbal has committed offence of corruption and corrupt practices falling under sections 9 & 10 of National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and sufficient material/evidence is available to connect him with the commission of offence aforesaid.
It says that Iqbal being a minister of planning, development and reforms and deputy chairman Central Development Working Party (CDWP) misused his authority and illegally increased the scope of the Narowal Sporty City Project (NSCCP), formerly named as Sports stadium Complex Narowal, from Rs 35.410 million to Rs 97.520 million, without seeking any approval from competent CDWP forum.
According to NAB, record collected so far revealed that instead of getting approval of the CDWP as the scope of the NSCP was substantially altered, Iqbal accorded approval on his own and approved the same with malafide intentions without taking matter before the CDWP.
The NAB document of grounds of arrest further says that NSCCP was initiated without any feasibility study in violation of Planning Commission Development Manual regarding feasibility of new developmental projects. It was necessary to prepare feasibility study of projects costing more than Rs 50 million and Iqbal enhanced the scope with malafide intention by directing the design consultants of the NSCCP.
According to NAB, in pursuance of 18th constitutional amendment, the project was devolved to Punjab government vide letter dated June 3, 2011 for completion at their own sources. The project along with record was handed over to government of Punjab on March 15, 2012. "Yet your (Iqbal's) ministry took up the matter and submitted NIS (new items statements) amounting to Rs 200 million prima facie on Iqbal's directions on behalf of Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), who did not ask for it as it was already handed over to government of Punjab in sheer violation of all relevant rules and laws," it said.
It said that despite the fact that the project was handed over to the Sport Board of Punjab and became a provincial subject, Iqbal by misusing his authority hijacked the provincial project and not only spent fund from the federal government's kitty on a project but also enhanced the scope of the said project manifolds without any demand from the provincial government or plausible justification.
"Later on, revised PC-1 costing Rs 2498.779 million was prepared and scope was enhanced manifolds and subsequently it was approved by CDWP headed by Iqbal on July 17, 2014. Likewise the 2nd revised PC-1 costing Rs 2994.329 million was prepared and was approved by CDWP on May 3, 2017," it said.
The NAB official told the court that evidence collected so far directly connects the accused with the commission of offence, and incriminating evidence/material cannot be collected without arrest of the accused. He further said that there is likelihood of destruction/disappearance of relevant evidence record on part of the accused and there is strong likelihood that he (Iqbal) may abscond.
Iqbal's counsel Tariq Jahangir while objecting to NAB's request said that there is no allegation against his client of taking bribe and kickbacks. "The project was executed by the federal or provincial government and there is no fault of Iqbal," the counsel asked.
He said that Iqbal had not approved fund for the project. "If NAB has any concrete evidence and documents then the court may grant 90-day remand," he said.
Iqbal said that the project worth Rs 2.5 billion had been initiated in 2009. In 2013 it was incomplete project and he promised with the people of his constituency that he will complete it.
He said that a minister does not approve Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Kartarpur Corridor project was executed in his constituency and if it was approved, he asked.
The NAB prosecutor said if there is no involvement of kickbacks, misuse of authority also incurs loss to the national exchequers and it is corruption.
Iqbal's counsel further requested the court that Iqbal should be allowed to do walk and get homemade meal as he is a patient. He also requested the court to allow use of laptop to him as he is writing a book on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Iqbal further said that NSCCP had been approved by all the relevant departments. Funds for the project had been released through PSDP after approval of the parliament, he said.
The court reserved its judgment for some time. The court while announcing its judgment granted NAB 13-day physical remand of Iqbal.
Talking to the media informally before the hearing, Ahsan Iqbal said that he accepts the punishment if he is being punished for speaking out in favour of the death sentence handed down to former president Pervez Musharraf. "I accept the punishment if I am arrested for fulfilling my promises with the people of Narowal. But, if by arresting me they think they can stop me from speaking out against Imran Ahmed Niazi (Prime Minister Imran Khan), it is not possible," he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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