Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Monday arrested Qamarul Islam Raja – a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate contesting against party’s disgruntled leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from Rawalpindi’s NA-59 constituency – in Saaf Pani scam.

Besides, the anti-corruption watchdog arrested former Punjab Planning and Development secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry in the case. He has served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Saaf Pani Company.

A spokesperson for the national corruption watchdog has confirmed the development.

Raja was nominated as PML-N’s candidate from NA-59 and PP-10 on Sunday. Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is contesting from both these constituencies.

On May 11, 2018, Raja was grilled by a combined investigation team of NAB Lahore in connection with ongoing inquiry into the scam.

On June 4, former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif was also appeared before the NAB investigators in the scam.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif condemned the arrest of PML-N election hopeful and termed it unfortunate.

“This is sad… however, we are getting more information and will see what we can do,” Nawaz told reporters outside a London hospital where he is attending his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

Saaf Pani Company is one among 56 public limited companies formed by the Punjab government soon after assuming power in the province in 2013. All these companies are now under the NAB’s radar.

Earlier in April, the bureau had arrested four accused, including chief technical officer Dr Zahirud Din, consultant engineer Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, chief procurement officer Nasir Qadir Bhaddar and managing director Masood Akhtar, in the Saaf Pani scam.

Published in Daily Times, June 26^th 2018.