Daily Times

PTI leader Babar Awan on Tuesday relinquished his position as the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs in the wake of a corruption reference filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Babar Awan maintained in his resignation letter that being a legal practitioner himself if did not find it appropriate to keep the post while facing an inquiry.

He said, “I resign from the post of adviser to PM on parliamentary affairs so that I may disprove allegations levelled [against me] in the NAB reference.”

In a tweet posted on his Twitter page, he said, “Just reached PM House to tender my resignation from Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Rule of Law begins with me. Thank you, Insafians for standing by me always. I will never let you down.”

The resignation came hours after the NAB filed a corruption reference against Babar Awan regarding a delay in Nandipur Power Project. The delay was caused during the tenure of Pakistan Peoples Party-led government in the centre from 2008 to 2013, with Awan then serving as minister for law and justice.

Earlier in the day, Awan wrote in a tweet, “Requested NAB several times to grant me my right to defend myself against false allegations. I was never given that chance since Day1 proceedings were one-sided. I was not called in the inquiry or investigation phase. Now I shall use all legal options at my disposal InshaAllah.”

Former federal minister for water and power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also faces a corruption reference for delay in the project.

The corruption references were filed after a commission, constituted on directions of the Supreme Court, held officers of the Ministry of Law and Justice responsible for the delay.

Published in Daily Times, September 5^th 2018.