Mega corruption scandal: National Party starts internal probe of its legislators
QUETTA: National Party, a coalition partner in Balochistan government, on Sunday launched a self-accountability campaign against its lawmakers following the mega corruption scandal unearthed last week.
The president of National Party, Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo, announced this at a press conference in the provincial capital.
"We have launched self-accountability of our legislators after this scandal," he said, flanked by former Balochistan chief minister Dr. Malik Baloch, Mir Tahir Bizenjo and other party leaders.
The decision by National Party to make the assets of party parliamentarians public was taken during the hurriedly-called central committee meeting held on Sunday morning, Bizenjo said.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered bags full of local and foreign currencies from the residence of Balochistan former secretary finance Mushtaq Raisani.
Following the recovery of money, the finance adviser to Balochistan chief minister Mir Khalid Langove, who belongs to National Party, tendered resignation from his post till the completion of probe into Balochistan mega corruption scandal.
In response to a question, Senator Bizenjo informed that Langove was in contact with him and “he would appear before NAB within next couple of days”.
NAB has already issued two notices to Mir Khalid Langove to appear before the bureau and answer some questions related to the corruption scandal.
The party has also formed an accountability commission comprising Mir Tahir Bizenjo, Senator Mir Kabir Muhammad Shahi and Jan Muhammad Buledi to probe into the assets of legislators.
"We have been against corruption but for the first time we are facing charges of corruption", Senator Bizenjo lamented.
He, however, pointed out, "We are wearing white clothes but our political opponents are wearing black clothes, therefore stains on our clothes are visible from quite far away.”
Former chief minister Dr. Malik Baloch, while lashing out at the opposition, said everyone knows who made allotments of land in the past.
"No corruption charge can be proved against me," he announced, dispelling impression about selling out of gold and copper project Reko Diq.
NAB had recovered more than Rs730 million from the residence of Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani.
Following Raisani’s arrest and the recovery of embezzled money, the provincial finance adviser Khalid Langove immediately offered his resignation from the post.
Khalid Langove said that he resigned because his department is facing such grave allegations of corruption and foul play, which does not morally allow him to stay in his post.
However, Langove has been missing in action since then and also failed to appear before NAB despite prior notices served to him twice.