MUZAFFARGARH: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued notice to former MNA Sardar Ashiq Hussain Khan Gopang and PTI MNA Sardar Amir Talal Gopang to appear before the watchdog on Jan 4.

The NAB also sought explanation from Ashiq Hussain’s wife Begum Khursheed Khan, MNA Amir Talal Gopang’s wife and daughters and also directed Deputy Commissioner Amjad Shoaib Tareen to give details of their assets.

The NAB is conducting investigation against them under the provisions of NAO 1999. The Gopang family will appear on Jan 4.

During the last tenure of the PML-N, Ashiq Gopang made Umer Gopang chairman of the district council and all the development schemes were undertaken on the direction of Amir Talal Gopang who was MPA at that time.

Ashiq Gopang is a former MNA and after general elections in 2018, his son Amir Talal Gopang became MNA and he joined the PTI. The DC has asked Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Imran Shams to scrutinise the landed assets of the Gopang family.

A NAB team visited the district council and took records of all projects of local government. Last month, the NAB also asked PPP MNA Mehr Irshad Sial to appear with record of his land.

Speaking to Dawn, Ashiq Gopang denied any fraudulent land deal and he had met the NAB chairman last month and convinced him that his family had done nothing wrong.

He said the NAB Multan DG was near retirement and he was doing it with mala fide intention. He said he would appear in the NAB office and vociferously plead his case.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021