NAB takes notice, orders probe of alleged irregularities in Rawalpindi Ring Road project

According to a NAB statement issued from Islamabad, Chairman Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal has directed NAB Rawalpindi to complete the investigation of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project without any discrimination and following the law and review all aspects of the project.

He further directed the investigative teams to look into all aspects of corruption in the project.

It may be recalled that in the government inquiry, it was alleged that some housing societies have been benefited by changing the layout of the Ring Road project in Rawalpindi.

According to the fact-finding report, former Rawalpindi Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Mahmood and suspended Land Acquisition Commissioner Wasim Tabish paid Rs2.30 billion for land acquisition and benefited a well-known family of the area.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the largest opposition party had accused two members of the federal cabinet of benefiting from the re-alignment of the Ring Road project and demanded to arrest the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

According to PML-N spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb, "neither Prime Minister Imran Khan nor Chief Minister Usman Bazdar nor Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Zulfi Bukhari, who directly 'benefited' can be exempted from this investigation."

PML-N Central spokesperson said in a statement that there was no need for further investigation into the Ring Road project as “evidence of this project is in front of people.”

She said that Imran Khan and Usman Bazdar should be arrested as Imran Khan had self-approved the changes in the Ring Road project on February 4, 2021.

The PML-N leader questioned why Imran Khan was conducting an inquiry into his order. Who benefited by giving orders and who is being benefited by stopping the project.

It may be recalled that the report of the Fact-Finding Committee regarding irregularities in the Ring Road Rawalpindi project has come to light in which big names and officials working in the incumbent government were found guilty.

On the other hand, PML-N had rejected Punjab government's inquiry report on corruption and irregularities in the Ring Road project.