ISLAMABAD,: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has constituted a joint investigation team for carrying out a thorough probe into sugar subsidy scandal.

According to details, an important meeting presided by NAB Chairman Justice (Retired) Javed Iqbal was held at NAB Headquarters in which Prosecutor General, Deputy Chairman, DG Operations and DG Rawalpindi participated. The report of the Sugar Commission was reviewed in detail in this important meeting.

According to NAB spokesperson, the team will comprise of two investigation officers, economic experts and legal consultants. The anti-corruption watchdog decided to include experts of sugar industry and additional director in the team which will be headed by NAB Director-General Rawalpindi chapter Irfan Naeem Mangi.

The NAB headquarters will review the progress report of the joint investigation team on monthly basis. The team has been tasked to collect records of subsidy on sugar from all provinces besides acquiring reports of financial and audit of the concerned companies through the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

During the meeting, NAB chairman Javed Iqbal said that the institution will initiate an indiscriminate, and transparent investigation in the sugar subsidy scandal where concerned officials and departments will be given full chance to clarify their positions.

He vowed that NAB will take action in accordance with the law against those illegally received sugar subsidy.

On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the federal government had made public reports of a high-level inquiry into the sugar and wheat crises on April 4 that had hit the people hard across the country in January.

Under the stewardship of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general Wajid Zia, two teams had carried out a probe into the crises and furnished their reports to the prime minister upon completion for perusal. The report had been made public after PM Imran Khan went through it. NNI