PESHAWAR – The massive Rs40 billion Kohistan corruption scandal has taken a dramatic turn as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) escalated its inquiry into a full-fledged investigation, revealing shocking details of ill-gotten wealth.
NAB officials have already frozen and recovered assets worth an estimated Rs25 billion. Among the seized items are 77 luxury vehicles valued at nearly Rs940 million, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche Taycan, Toyota Land Cruisers, Lexus SUVs, and even a Ford Mustang. Authorities have also confiscated over Rs1 billion in cash, stacks of foreign currency, and more than 3 kilograms of gold.
The crackdown doesn’t stop at vehicles. Investigators have frozen Rs5 billion spread across 73 bank accounts and seized an extensive list of properties – including a lavish bungalow famously featured in the drama serial Pari Zaad. In total, 109 properties across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Mansehra have been taken into custody. These include 4 farmhouses, 12 commercial plazas, 2 commercial plots, 30 houses, 25 luxury flats, and 175 kanals of agricultural land, with an estimated worth of Rs17 billion.
Officials say the arrests of key suspects are imminent, expected within the next 24 to 48 hours. NAB sources describe the scheme as a carefully planned web of corruption involving government officials, contractors, and even banking authorities, who siphoned off billions from the national exchequer with alarming audacity.
The unfolding investigation signals one of the most extensive anti-corruption crackdowns in recent years, with more revelations expected in the coming days.
