Islamia College teacher freed after getting bail from PHC

PESHAWAR: An academician of the Islamia College University Dr Naeem Khalid arrested on the charges of corruption and misuse of authority was released on Wednesday after being granted bail by the Peshawar High Court.  

The court had granted bail on Tuesday to Dr Naeem Khalid, the chairman of Department of Physics at the Islamia College University.The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) had arrested him for his alleged involvement in illegal appointments and embezzlement in the purchase of computers.

A division bench comprising Justice Nisar Hussain Khan and Justice Lal Jan Khattak had ordered the release of Dr Naeem Khalid on bail.In the same case, the bench had also confirmed the pre-arrest bail of former vice-chancellor of Islamia College University Ajmal Khan. 

The KPEC arrested Naeem Khalid on November 4 on charges of misuse of authority and corrupt practices. During the course of hearing, Qazi Jawad Ihsanullah appearing for the petitioner submitted that National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had already held an inquiry into the matter.

He said that NAB had closed the case after it failed to prove illegality and embezzlement against the petitioner and others.The counsel argued that the Governor’s Inspection Team had also conducted inquiry into the matter and cleared the petitioner and others.

The lawyer submitted that KPEC arrested the petitioner even though he was not concerned with the appointments in the university. He submitted that the petitioner wasn’t directly involved in the purchase of computers. He said that he could only give his opinion to the purchase committee.

He said the petitioner was accused of favouring the appointment of Ghayyur Muhammad as deputy registrar, but he was in the United States when the appointment was made.

The KPEC prosecutor submitted that Dr Naeem Khalid was involved in illegal appointments and misappropriation of funds during the procurement of equipment for the department. He said that Dr Naeem Khalid illegally appointed lecturers at his department and pocketed money in the purchase of 300 computers. The prosecutor said the former vice-chancellor Ajmal Khan was also involved in the wrongdoings.