PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has claimed that it has obtained evidence of alleged corruption and financial irregularities worth billions of rupees against former chief minister Sohail Afridi.
According to the provincial government, Afridi is currently in protective custody and is being kept in safe hands, where authorities are taking care of him. However, officials have also confirmed that arrest warrants have been issued against him, although he has not yet been formally arrested.
The provincial government said evidence of alleged financial wrongdoing involving billions of rupees had emerged during preliminary investigations. It added that records had been sought from all relevant government departments to examine the allegations and establish the extent of the suspected irregularities.
Officials said the initial inquiries would be completed before the cases were referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the provincial Anti-Corruption Establishment for further investigation and legal proceedings.
The government has also started examining alleged corruption and financial irregularities in the Sehat Card programme. The review is aimed at identifying possible misuse of funds and irregularities in the implementation of the healthcare initiative.
Authorities said records from relevant departments would be scrutinised as part of the broader investigation into the alleged financial misconduct during the previous provincial administration.
Meanwhile, the KP government also commented on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, claiming that he was unhappy because he had not been given a share in the current technocratic government setup.
The government suggested that Fazlur Rehman’s dissatisfaction was linked to his expectations of having a role in the new administrative arrangement.
However, the allegations against Sohail Afridi have yet to be independently established, and no formal findings of guilt have been announced.
