- NAB has initiated action against Muhammad Khan Bhatti
- He is accused of possessing illegal assets and corruption
- Bhatti was arrested from Sindh and his whereabouts are unknown
LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated action against Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, considered a close aide of former Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
According to reports, NAB has started an inquiry against Muhammad Khan Bhatti for allegedly having illegal assets and corruption. The anti-graft agency has sought records to investigate the assets of Bhatti.
NAB has obtained the records of salary, session allowance, services commission, and other perks and privileges from the bank. The bank has submitted the records on hundred of pages to NAB, sources revealed.
The records show that despite being on forced leave from 2007 to 2018, Bhatti received salaries for twelve years in violation of the rules and regulations.
NAB has also obtained the records of various transactions worth millions of rupees. Sources revealed that Bhatti received illegal benefits for several years.
NAB has initiated an investigation into allegations of possessing illegal assets and misappropriation. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) have already launched a corruption investigation against Bhatti.
Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti has been arrested in Sindh earlier this week. His house in Gujranwala was also raided by police and a domestic employee was arrested.
Bhatti was apprehended under the supervision of the Hyderabad police SSP from Matiari. He was heading to Karachi to seek protective bail from the Sindh High Court when he was taken into custody. He was wanted by the FIA in different cases.
PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi expressed concerns over the arrest and feared that Bhatti may be subject to forced disappearance.
“The way our legal advisor Amir Saeed Rawn remains missing, he too may be subject to disappearance,” Elahi feared. “What kind of message does is being sent if officers from Punjab start disappearing from Sindh?” he asked.
He warned that such actions by the Sindh administration and police chief can cause for animosity among provinces. He urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to immediately take note of the matter.
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