PESHAWAR : The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has closed its investigation into alleged corruption in the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, clearing former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, current Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, and other top government officials of wrongdoing.
Senior journalist Arshad Aziz Malik disclosed that NAB concluded the case after a years-long probe. Speaking on Pakhtun Digital’s podcast, Malik stated that Shahab Ali Shah, who previously served as Secretary Planning, faced multiple allegations but was cleared after seven years.
The case originated from a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry ordered by the late Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Seth. However, the provincial government secured a stay order, halting the FIA probe. NAB later took over the investigation, but the PTI government also obtained a stay, further delaying proceedings.
Malik noted that opposition leaders had accused Khattak of taking kickbacks and granting illegal approvals for the BRT project. An FIA report alleged the project was initiated for political gain, with costs ballooning from an initial 14 billion rupees to 75 billion rupees.
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The NAB investigation, launched in 2017-18, also scrutinized former officials Abid Saeed, Trans Peshawar CEO Fayyaz Ahmed, CFO Safdar Rashid, and three Chinese contractors. While the main case has been closed, Malik said legal action continues against some officers of the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA).
