Panel postpones RDA scam hearing
The Director-General of RDA, along with a Deputy Director and an Assistant Director, who had travelled to Lahore for the meeting, were informed about rescheduling of the meeting on June 11.
Meanwhile, NAB has intensified its probe into the financial scandal and conducted a raid at the residence of the late Deputy Director.
The special committee, comprising DMG officers, had summoned RDA's Director-General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja to Lahore for a review of records. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that one committee member was unavailable, leading to the postponement of the hearing until June 11.
Surprisingly, despite the ongoing investigation, only one retired officer from the approximately dozen former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance of RDA, who served between 2016 and 2024/25, has been summoned.
Some of these officers have retired, while others hold key positions in Punjab.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Asia shares, yen weather Japan uncertainty as earnings loom
SYDNEY: Asian shares and the yen held their ground on Monday as Japanese elections proved bad for the government but no worse than already priced in, while Wall Street futures braced for earnings from the first of the tech giants. Investors were also hoping for some progress in trade talks ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick still confident a deal could be reached with the European Union. There were reports Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were closer to arranging a meeting, though likely not until October at the earliest. In Japan, the ruling coalition lost control of the upper house in an election on Sunday, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's grip on power as a tariff deadline looms. Ishiba expressed his intention to stay in the position, which along with a market holiday, limited the reaction and the yen was 0.4% firmer at 148.29 to the dollar. 'Ishiba will try to govern with support from some within the opposition, but this likely means a looser fiscal policy and is not good news for bond yields,' said Rodrigo Catril, a senior FX strategist at NAB. 'History also suggests that domestic political uncertainty tends to keep the BOJ on the side-lines, so the prospect of rate hikes is now set to be delayed for a little bit longer.' The Bank of Japan still has a bias to raise rates further but markets are pricing little chance of a move until the end of October. While the Nikkei was shut, futures traded up at 39,875 and just above the cash close of 39,819. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, while South Korean stocks added 0.4%. Mega caps kick off S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures both edged up 0.1%, and are already at record highs in anticipation of more solid earnings reports. A host of companies reporting this week include Alphabet and Tesla, along with IBM (IBM.N), opens new tab. Investors also expect upbeat news for defence groups RTX, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. Ramped up government spending across the globe has seen the S&P 500 aerospace and defence sector rise 30% this year. In bond markets, U.S. Treasury futures held steady having dipped late last week after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller repeated his call for a rate cut this month. Most of his colleagues, including Chair Jerome Powell, have argued a pause is warranted to judge the true inflationary impact of tariffs and markets imply almost no chance of a move in July. A September cut is put at 61%, rising to 80% for October. Powell's reticence on rates has drawn the ire of Trump who threatened to fire the Fed chief, before backing down. The spectre of a potential political appointee who would seek to ease policy sharply has investors on edge. The European Central Bank meets this week and is expected to hold its rates steady at 2.0% following a string of cuts. 'The press conference will likely keep highlighting uncertainty and need to wait for tariff negotiations to conclude before deciding the next step,' said analysts at TD Securities in a note. 'Similarly, its 'meeting-by-meeting' language would be retained in the release.' The euro was unchanged at $1.1630 in early trading, having dipped 0.5% last week and away from its recent near-four-year top of $1.1830. The dollar index was a fraction lower at 98.40 . In commodity markets, gold was little changed at $3,348 an ounce with all the recent action in platinum which last week hit its highest since August 2014. Oil prices were caught between the prospect of increased supply from OPEC+ and the risk European Union sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine could curb its exports. Brent edged up 0.1% to $69.36 a barrel, while U.S. crude added 0.1% to $67.39 per barrel.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Several illegal commercial units sealed
The Enforcement Squad of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) launched a robust operation against illegal constructions, sealing 17 unauthorised commercial properties located at Mid City Apartments, Service Road, Mouza Gangal. The operation was carried out with the support of the Old Airport police and led by the RDA Enforcement Squad. The team comprised the Assistant Director of Building Control, building inspectors, and other relevant officials. Among the sealed properties were 10 offices, two apartments, one restaurant, and four hotels. Noteworthy establishments included the Overseas Recruitment Agency, Ghauri Town offices, WB Centres, JD Aviation, and others. According to an RDA spokesperson, the owners had constructed commercial buildings without securing the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and in violation of approved building plansactions that contravene the Punjab Development of Cities Act, 1976, and the RDA Building and Zoning Regulations, 2020. RDA director-general Kinza Murtaza has also directed the Building Control Wing to conduct a detailed survey of all unauthorised residential and commercial structures. This includes reviewing approvals, commercialisation status, completion plans, and associated fees and charges. The directive further emphasises that all illegal constructions within the RDA-controlled area must be regularised in accordance with existing regulations.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Notice issued to NAB over 'unlawful arrest
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in response to a writ petition filed against the arrest of a suspect involved in the Kohistan financial scandal, despite the suspect's submission of a voluntary return application. A division bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Farah Jamshed heard the petition filed by Muhammad Riaz. During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel, Advocate Aminur Rehman Yousafzai, informed the court that NAB was investigating the Kohistan scandal and had issued a call-up notice to his client. He stated that NAB had informed his client that he could opt for a plea bargain by submitting a voluntary return application. Following this, his client submitted the application on May 16, 2025. However, NAB issued another call-up notice on July 2, 2025, summoning him again. When the petitioner appeared before NAB on July 11, he was taken into custody, without a decision being made on his earlier application, the lawyer said. He further argued that the arrest was unlawful and caused his client severe mental distress. Subsequently, his client was presented before an accountability court, which granted NAB an eight-day physical remand. Citing the 2022 amendments to the NAB laws, the counsel contended that under Section 24, a person can only be arrested if they fail to appear before NAB, attempt to flee the country, tamper with prosecution records, or are found to be reoffending. He emphasized that none of these conditions applied to his client and that a decision on the voluntary return application was legally required before any arrest. He accused NAB of misusing its authority and requested the court to declare the arrest illegal and order his client's release. After hearing the preliminary arguments, the two-member bench issued a notice to NAB and adjourned further proceedings until July 29. Meanwhile, PHC has rejected the bail application of Assistant Food Controller Khalid Khan, who was arrested in connection with a major wheat embezzlement scandal. The case was heard by a single-member bench headed by Chief Justice Justice SM Atiq Shah. During the hearing, the defense counsel argued that the FIR against his client had been registered by the Anti-Corruption Department without any substantial evidence, and therefore, requested the court to release the accused on bail. However, Additional Advocate General Muhammad Inam Yusufzai informed the court that the accused, Khalid Khan, serving as Assistant Food Controller, had colluded with other individuals to embezzle 1,700 metric tons of wheat from the government warehouse in Azakhel, Nowshera. The misappropriation caused a loss of Rs200 million to the national exchequer. He further stated that an inquiry was conducted, and a case was subsequently registered by the Anti-Corruption Department. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Court had earlier dismissed the bail plea on the basis of strong evidence against the accused. After hearing both sides, the High Court also dismissed the bail petition, maintaining the previous ruling.
