KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is likely to arrest PPP senior leader Ijaz Jakhrani next week in a corruption case, however, the NAB Sukkur has arrested his alleged frontman on corruption charges last Saturday, according to media.
In a statement issued by NAB said, “NAB Sukkur has arrested Abbas Jakhrani, former Chairman of Jacobabad Municipal Committee. He is the cousin of Ijaz Jakhrani, former Federal Minister and presently Advisor Prisons Department Sindh. He is allegedly front man of Ijaz Jakhrani, former federal minister.”
Sources said that NAB has evidence of corruption against Jakhrani and the arrest of his cousin will also help the Bureau to arrest him.
On September 26, 2018, NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, while chairing the Executive Board Meeting, had authorized the inquiry against Jhakhrani in a corruption case.
On the request of NAB Sukkur, the Bureau headquarters had also written the Interior Division to place the name of Jakhrani and others on the Exit Control List.
The complainant levelled serious allegations against Ijaz Jakhrani, saying the former minister is owner of one flour mill and one rice mill in Jacobabad and three rice mills in Dera Allahyar.
The complaint claimed Jakhrani owns 276 acres land in different cities of Sindh and three houses in posh areas of Karachi. Furthermore, the complainant alleged that Jakhrani has constructed a hotel on the government property illegally in Jacobabad. The PPP leader also allegedly involved in corruption during his tenure as health minister and has properties abroad, the complaint said.
A senior officer of NAB said that the bureau investigation team had summoned the complainant thrice at the NAB Sukkur office and recorded his statement in this case.
He said the NAB Sukkur Bureau has requested the NAB headquarters to write the Interior Division to place Jakhrani’s on the ECL along with his four front men including Nimal Das, Bhool Chand, Kamlesh Kumar and Razak Bahrani. On the direction of NAB, the State Bank of Pakistan had already blocked the accounts of few people involved in the corruption scandal including those of Saroop Kumar Gehani, Nimal Das, Chandur Lal, Bhool Chand and Permet Kumar due to Jakhrani’s connection with them.
He said, following the regional bureau’s request, the NAB headquarters had written to the Interior Division with the request to place the name of Jakhrani on ECL. He said Jakhrani’s name to be placed on ECL next week.
Former chief justice Saqib Nisar had also ordered an inquiry against Jakhrani on serious allegations of corruption including 300 benami properties and Rs 44 billion took in the name of development projects in the Jacobabad district.
