An accountability court heard the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) corruption reference against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders including Babar Ghauri, Javed Hanif on Monday. Former federal minister Babar Ghauri and eight others had been nominated in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) corruption reference. Sindh Assembly parliemantarians Javed Hanif, Rauf Akhtar Farooqui and other accused were present in the court during the hearing. The NAB prosecutor said that the court that the bureau had began proceedings to declare Babar Ghauri and two other accused as proclaimed offenders. He told the court that advertisements had been published in newspapers against the absconders and property details of the accused were being recovered. After hearing the lawyer’s statement, the judge adjourned the hearing till January 7. It is worth mention Babar Ghauri and others faced charges of massive corruption of around Rs 3 billion (bn) in Karachi Port Trust (KPT), when he was federal minister for Ports and Shipping between 2008 and 2013. They are facing charges of appointing 940 officials illegally in the KPT back in 2012. Earlier on September 15, the court approved a reference filed by NAB and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Babar Ghauri and other accused in the case. According to the reference, Javed Hanif in his capacity as the then KPT chairman misused his official authority and made illegal appointments of 940 employees in the KPT and was supported by Babar Ghauri. NAB also claimed that appointments made violated KPT laws and regulations. Published in Daily Times, December 18th 2018.