ISLAMABAD - National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has said that Tauqeer Sadiq, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and an accused of misappropriation of billions of rupees, has not been arrested so far, but located and identified in United Arab Emirates by Interpol.

The Bureau further said that a joint team comprising officials from NAB, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and police would leave for Abu Dhabi soon to arrest Tauqeer Sadiq. NAB is completing travel formalities in this regard. The final team members have yet to be disclosed.
NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal Khan confirmed this to TheNation saying that Interpol recently informed NAB about the whereabouts of the accused. The spokesman further said that NAB was in constant liaison with all stakeholders locally and abroad to finalise the deportation and arrest of accused after completing all legal and administrative formalities. “NAB would proceed against the accused under the provisions of law,” he added. In response to another question about the presence of a Punjab police team in Abu Dhabi for the arrest of Sadiq he said that as far as presence of any police team for arrest of the accused in Abu Dhabi was concerned, he am not privy to any such team.
After the Supreme Court that is hearing corruption case against Sadiq took exception to the negligence of NAB and country’s other law enforcement agencies for their failure in the arrest of the accused, NAB through the Federal Investigation Agency had requested International Police (Interpol) to arrest him. Some weeks ago, Tauqeer Sadiq had reportedly escaped to Dubai despite the fact that his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL) and NAB as well as police had been conducting raids to arrest him. Later, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Haji Habibur Rehman informed the court that the accused had fled to Dubai.
NAB along with police and FIA had been conducting raids to arrest Sadiq on the directions of the apex court after a local court issued arrest warrants for Sadiq last year. A joint team of NAB, FIA and police also conducted a raid on the official residence of Leader of the House in the Senate Jehangir Badar in Islamabad but they failed to arrest him. Sadiq is a close relative of Jehangir Badar who is also the General Secretary of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Tauqeer Sadiq along with other accused is facing allegations of causing Rs 82 billion loss to the national exchequer by embezzling funds and misuse of authority. The charges include issuing licenses for new CNG stations, relocation of a several CNG stations, illegal appointments, increase in the ratio of gas theft charges that were passed on to the consumers with his approval and conversion of OGRA’s operating income into non-operating income in violation of rules.
NAB had filed a reference against Sadiq and three other officials of OGRA including Mansoor Ali Muzaffar member gas, Mir Kamal Farid Bijarani Muree member finance and Jawad Jamil, staff officer to the former chairman on these charges.
Supreme Court in a separate case has declared the appointment of Sadiq as OGRA chairman illegal.