Three ex-PCB chiefs Pak Chief Justice orders NAB probe in fraud allegation against

Islamabad, Jan. 5 (ANI): Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, has ordered a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probe into fraud allegations against three former PCB chiefs.

The issue was highlighted by Razaullah Khan of Karachi in an application requesting suo motu notice of the alleged misappropriation worth seven billion rupees.

Chaudhry noticed that NAB didn't take any action despite Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's intervention into the allegations that Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia, Sheheryar M. Khan and Dr Nasim Ashraf were found involved in irregular expenditures of billions of rupees.

"Case be forwarded to the NAB chairman for disposal," The Dawn quoted Chaudhry, as saying on Monday while taking suo motu notice of the applicant's complaint.

A report prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) into the allegation highlighted purchase of luxury cars, award of contracts without following prescribed rules, recruitment without advertising posts and mismanagement of PCB's assets as a common practice during the stints of the three former chairmen.

PCB's annual expenditures swelled from 571 million rupees in 2004 to 737 million rupees in 2005, 832 million rupees in 2006, 1.024 billion rupees in 2007 and 1.8 billion rupees in 2008. (ANI)