The Punjab Saaf Pani Company’s (PSPC) chief executive officer Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman on Thursday resigned from his position. The PSPC was among several autonomous companies formed by the Shehbaz Sharif led administration in Punjab to deliver public services like water, sanitation, transport bypassing the existing line departments. The company has been under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the directives of the apex court for apparently not starting a single project of clean water, even though Rs4 billion have already been spent on it. Usman, who reportedly drawing a salary of Rs1,465,000 as the PSPC CEO. He has appeared before the NAB twice in connection with the ongoing inquiry. His last appearance before the SC was on July 24 when he was asked by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar whether he had returned the salary drawn as the PSPC head. In Usman’s defence, his counsel had said that his client had an unblemished record of service and there was no allegation of corruption against him. After he relinquished the post, Umar Malik, the company’s chief financial officer, was given additional charge. Last year, the NAB had launched a thorough probe into the affairs of 56 public-sector companies formed by the Shehbaz Sharif administration in Punjab. These companies are accused of certain irregularities, recruitment in violation of procurement rules and merit, nepotism, and non-completion of various projects in time. In May, NAB had grilled PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shehbaz in the PSPC case, questioning his alleged role in award of contracts and making of appointments despite not being a member of the board of directors. Hamza’s brother-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf is also being investigated by the Bureau for renting out an office in his plaza in Gulberg to the company on exorbitant rates. Published in Daily Times, August 10th 2018.