Sibtain Khan Accuses Shehbaz Sharif For Making Chiniot Mines Case

Sumaira FH Published February 04, 2021 | 10:57 PM

Punjab Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Sibtain Khan on Thursday said that the Chiniot mines and minerals case was made by Shehbaz Sharif against him after Panama scandal

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Feb, 2021 ) :Punjab Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Sibtain Khan on Thursday said that the Chiniot mines and minerals case was made by Shehbaz Sharif against him after Panama scandal.

Talking to the media after appearing before an accountability court here, he said that the case was nothing but a joke as the signatory of the mines and minerals agreement had been made an approver.

Sibtain Khan said that he was innocent and he would prove the same in the court whereas nobody was questioning then caretaker chief minister and signatories of the agreement.

Earlier, Sibtain Khan and other accused appeared before Accountability Court Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry in connection with the Chiniot mines and minerals case.

The court directed for distribution of copies of reference among the accused on the next date of hearing and adjourned further hearing till March 6.

Besides Sibtain Khan, Salman Ghani, Muhammad Aslam, Abdul Sattar Mian and Imtiaz Ahmad Cheema had been named as the accused in the reference filed by National Accountability Bureau. The bureau had alleged that Sibtain Khan exceeded his powers. The NAB alleged that Sibtain Khan violated laws and awarded a multi-billion contract to a firm of his choice namely Earth Resource Private Limited (ERPL) during 2007 when he was minister for mines and minerals in the PML-Q government.

The bureau stated the company that was given the contract had a paid-up capital of Rs2.5 million only and also lacked the experience required for the project.

It is pertinent to mention here that the bureau arrested Sibtain Khan on June 14, 2019 but he obtained post-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court on September 19, 2019.