Ameer Muqam’s son sent to jail on 14-day judicial remand

PESHAWAR (92 News) – The federal anti-corruption court sent Ameer Muqam’s son Ishtiaq Ahmed to jail on judicial remand for 14 days on Friday. The FIA had arrested Ishtiaq Ahmed for alleged corruption in Shangla-Alpuri Road. Meanwhile, PML-N workers staged a demonstration outside Federal Judicial Complex against the arrest of Ishtiaq Ahmed. They chanted slogans against the government. On May 14, an anti-corruption court had remanded Ishtiaq Ameer, son of PML-N Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa president Ameer Muqam, in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency for three days. On Monday, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Wing had arrested Ishtiaq Ameer over alleged corruption in construction of Shangla-Alpuri Road. A first information report (FIR) was also lodged against Ishtiaq. In the FIR, the contractor, project director and engineer were also nominated; however, the departmental inquiry had been initiated against the 11 officers. It was also reported that the proposal to declare Ameer Muqam’s company as black list was also suggested. The investigation was initially launched over actions of Muqam in his capacity as the adviser of prime minister Nawaz Sharif during the previous government over alleged embezzlement in N-90, a road constructed between Shangla and Alpuri in district Shangla. National Highway 90 or the N-90 runs from town of Khwazakhela in Swat district to the town of Besham in Shangla district. The highway connects Malakand division with the Karakoram Highway at Besham. Its total length is 64 km. It was also reported that total cost of the project in 2009 was around Rs850 million. However, the cost jumped up to Rs2.8 billion in 2013 calling it the only reason why FIA has been probing the case, adding that the agency was looking into how the cost jumped up.