PESHAWAR: An accountability court here on Tuesday approved a plea bargain of Rs4.05 billion of an accused in the high-profile case involving the alleged embezzlement of over Rs37 billion in the Upper Kohistan district accounts office.

Judge Mohammad Zafar ordered the release of accused Mumtaz Khan, a resident of Upper Kohistan and owner of Mumtaz Khan Construction Company, if he’s not wanted in any other case.

He pronounced that the accused had conceded that his plea bargain agreement with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had his complete consent and according to his free will and not under any duress, coercion or pressure.

The court declared that the properties of the accused mentioned in his affidavit and agreement of plea bargain included eight of his bank accounts and the amount mentioned in those accounts should be transferred along with all consequential gains to the bank account of the NAB chairman in Islamabad for further disbursement and disposal.

Orders his release if he’s not wanted in any other case

It ordered that the properties in the shape of vehicles and a landed property of 10 kanals be transferred in favour of the KP government in accordance with law.

The accused is stated to be a close associate of the prime accused in the case, Qaiser Iqbal, who was a head clerk of the communication and works department. Until now, around 40 accused have been arrested in the case.

A special prosecutor of NAB, Manik Shah, appeared in the court along with the investigation officers including SP Inayatullah, additional director Adnan Abbas and deputy director Waqar Ahmad.

Accused Mumtaz Khan was also brought in from the prison.

The officials submitted application under Section 25(b) read with Section 15 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, for approval of the plea bargain of the accused in the investigation going on against him regarding the embezzlement and misappropriation in respect of massive financial scam uncovered by the NAB KP related to illegal withdrawal and misappropriation of over Rs37 billion from the contractors security deposit head of an account, G-10113.

They said that in the scam uncovered by the NAB, there was active collusion of accused Mumtaz with the other co-accused, including officials of the communication and works department in Upper Kohistan, District Accounts Office Upper Kohistan, employees of National Bank of Pakistan’s Dasu branch and several private contractors.

The officials said that the accused had misappropriated funds from different projects through bogus withdrawal of funds from the national treasury in the name of several contractors, who had not executed any civil work.

The court observed that the said application by the NAB authorities was approved by the NAB chairman on Jan 26, 2026.

It pronounced that the contents of the agreement deed reflected that accused Mumtaz had surrendered the properties mentioned therein in the shape of bank accounts, vehicles and landed property.

The agreement also declared that if, during future scrutiny, any additional liabilities and assets are discovered relating to the same offence, the accused would be held responsible to pay the same amount and allow NAB to recover the same assets under the law.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026