PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Saturday indicted six staff members of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM), including vice-chancellor, for carrying out the alleged illegal appointments in BPS-17 and above to the university.

The accused, including VC Dr Ihsan Ali, registrar Sher Ali, director Mohammad Amin, former superintendent Zahid Mehmood, and two other staff members, denied the charge and decided to stand trial.

Judge Mohammad Asim Imam fixed Dec 3 for the next hearing into the case and summoned five prosecution witnesses for it.

Special prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau Hasnain Tariq assisted the court in the framing of the charge against the accused.

The accused, including VC, deny charges, decide to stand trial

Last month, the court had indicted the accused for carrying out around 650 alleged illegal appointments in BPS-16 and below. In that reference, the accused had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In the present reference, the NAB has alleged that the accused had carried out illegal appointments to around 30 posts in BPS-17 and above without fulfilling codal formalities.

Last year, the NAB executive board had given approval for an inquiry into the alleged illegal appointments to the AWKUM and regularisation of the university’s certain contractual employees.

In Sept this year, the board approved the filing of references in these cases.

In the earlier reference about appointments to BPS-16 and below, the accused on Saturday filed applications under Section 265-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure requesting the court to order their acquittal as there was no evidence against them.

Under the said section the trial court is empowered to acquit an accused before conclusion of trial when it considers that there was no possibility of conviction of the accused on the basis of existing evidence.

The court put on notice the NAB’s prosecutor in those applications and adjourned hearing to Dec 3.

Also in the day, judge Zarqesh Sani of another accountability court fixed Dec 2 to indict former municipal superintendent Munir Khan for possessing illegal assets.

The court provided a copy of the reference filed by the NAB with the accused with the direction that the charge would be framed against him on the next hearing.

The NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has alleged that the accused possessed assets to the tune of Rs34.5 million, which was disproportionate to the known sources of his income.

It added that he possessed both moveable and immovable properties on his name as well as that of those of his wife and children.

The NAB alleged that the accused had properties in Gulbahar and Hayatabad Township and owned a new model expensive car.

The court also issued warrants for the arrest of three bankers, the prosecution witnesses in a reference against a housing officer of Mansehra Development Authority, as they didn’t turn up.

It fixed the next hearing into the reference for Dec 3 and directed the three witnesses to appear before it on that day. The reference is about the alleged possession of illegal assets by MDA housing officer Mazhar Hussain Shah.

Among the three witnesses are branch manager of United Bank Limited in Mansehra Yasir Ali, operation manager of Bank Alfalah Nauman Tariq and manager of Bank of Khyber Mohammad Imtiaz.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2016