PESHAWAR: Three members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf jointly filed a complaint with the National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regional office on Tuesday for action against the party’s dissident MNA, Ayesha Gulalai, and her father, Shamsul Qayyum, over the alleged embezzlement of funds of the development schemes awarded to her by the provincial government.

Among the complainants were PTI Lakki Marwat district president Saleem Nawaz, Engineer Arif Marwat, and Noor Zaman Khan, who claims to be Ayesha Gulalai’s former secretary.

In the complaint addressed to the NAB KP director general, they said, “It is submitted into your kind notice that Miss Ayesha Gulalai, member of the National Assembly (PTI reserved member) and her father namely Mr Shamsul Qayyum s/o Abdul Qayyum are found to be involved in embezzlement/corruption in various provincial development schemes, which needs to be investigated on priority basis. In this regard, documentary evidence and proofs are attached herewith for your perusal.”

“You are therefore requested to issue necessary directions to the authorities concerned to properly investigate these mega scandals and take strict disciplinary action against the said MNA and her father.”

Bureau says action on complaint to be taken in line with the law

The copies of the complaint were also sent to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell, director of the anti-corruption establishment and director general of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the complaint against MNA Ayesha Gulalai was a ‘routine matter’ and that action would be taken on it in line with the law.

In a news release issued here on Tuesday, he said the NAB was mandated to investigate anyone on the allegation of corruption and corrupt practices under the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

“The bureau receives scores of complaints everyday alleging different offences by individuals. Each complaint is handled as per procedure prescribed in the law,” he said, adding that every complaint was scrutinised by the ‘complaint officers’ and discussed in ‘complaint scrutiny meetings’ held twice every week under the chairmanship of NAB, KP, director general Brig Farooq Naser Awan.

“In these meetings, allegations enumerated in the complaint are discussed. With the consultation of the prosecution teams, decisions are taken according to the law,” the spokesman said.

After Gulalai levelled harassment allegation against PTI chief Imran Khan lately, the three complainants addressed news conferences in Bannu and Peshawar, where they levelled multiple charges against her.

In the Peshawar news conference held on Monday, they alleged that the dissident party MNA had received Rs7.2 million in a project meant for the construction of a road from Bannu Link Road to Sadakhel Road.

Noor Zaman had alleged that being Ayesha Gulalai’s personal secretary, he had himself provided her Rs4.7 million.

He had also alleged that Ms Gulalai had embezzled Rs1.2 million from the funds meant to build a road from Lakki Marwat to Tarikhel, while Rs600,000 for a project meant for the sinking of a solar energy-powered tubewell were also misused.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2017