KOHAT: A NAB inquiry against the tehsil municipal officer, Kohat, for his alleged role in illegal appointments of over 100 employees in the civic body and leasing out costly shops at throwaway prices has entered the fifth year, but without fixing the responsibility, it is learnt.

It may be recalled that some blue-eyed people of MPs and TMO Mohammad Shoaib were allegedly appointed in TMA, after which it could not even pay pension and salaries to employees due to heavy burden of workforce.

Similarly, dozens of shops were given to only few people at throwaway rates, who were now getting Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 rent after just paying Rs5,000 to the TMA.

Imtiaz Ahmed, assistant to the TMO, told Dawn his boss was being grilled by a team of NAB which had arrived from Peshawar on Monday.

TMO Shoaib, when contacted, said he had been investigated for last four years and was suspended last year and transferred to a tough post in a village.

He denied leasing out any shop to anyone, saying he had made all appointments of employees on merit and despite pressure did not confirm the services of ghost workers.

It may be recalled that there were only 129 workers in the TMA when the last ANP government came into power, but within few years the number rose to 245 and the TMA was unable to pay Rs12 million as salaries plus pensions to employees.

HASHISH SEIZED: Police foiled an attempt of smuggling hashish from tribal area to Punjab and arrested the carrier on Monday.

A statement said a police stopped a vehicle coming from Orakzai Agency at Marai checkpost, and on search, seized 16 kilogrammes of fine quality hashish hidden in its secret cavities. The alleged smuggler, Laal Noor, hailing from Bara area of Khyber Agency, was arrested and the vehicle was impounded. A case was registered against him under the drugs act. He was presented in a court which remanded him in police custody for further investigation.

Meanwhile, a motorcyclist was killed while his companion was injured when they were hit by a van on the Rawalpindi road on Monday.SUSPECTS HELD: In a joint operation security forces and police held 119 suspects and four alleged gangsters in an operation in Jungle Khel area on Monday.

A police official told Dawn the operation was conducted close to the Afghan refugee camps, participated by personnel of bomb disposal squad, quick response force aided by armed personnel carriers which conducted house to house search. They also seized two Kalakov rifles, four 12-bore repeaters and two pistols.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017