NAB raids Sindh minister Sohail Anwar Siyal’s residences in Larkana

LARKANA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided the residences of Sindh irrigation minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Wednesday.

According to Geo News, the NAB officials raided Siyal’s bungalow in Larkana’s Faridabad area. Lady police personnel were also present along with NAB officials during the raid.

NAB officials confirmed the raid operation on Siyal’s residence and said that the interior of the house was thoroughly searched.

The raids were carried out on three different residences of the minister. The first took place at Siyal’s house in Larkana city, the second was carried out at Anwar Palace in Tehsil Baqarani's  Faridabad village and the third was conducted at Siyal’s Palace, also in Faridabad village.

Meanwhile, the house of Sohail Anwar Siyal’s close friend, Asad Kharal, was also raided.

Important documents were seized during all the raids, NAB officials said.

They said that during the raids, the residences were also measured. Resultantly, it was found Siyal’s Faridabad house covers an area of four acres and a part of it has been built on government land.

‘NAB issued no legal notice’

While talking to Geo News, the provincial minister said that the NAB team did not issue any notice before conducting the raids.

"I am currently on bail. NAB had conducted a probe in April 2019. I have always appeared for questioning whenever the bureau called. [These days,] I was in Mirpurkhas due to floods."

The provincial minister further said that his father had passed away six months ago and his property was being imposed on him while declaring it benami.

“The news of NAB seizing documents from the residences has no degree of truth to it,” he added.

'Unfortunate and condemnable'

Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that NAB's raid, at a time when Siyal is looking after relief work in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Badin is "unfortunate and condemnable".

"This is a disaster situation and NAB could have sought information from the public representative," Wahab added.