Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has strongly denied all allegations made against him and his company, Ismail Industries. He said claims linking his firm to the distribution of Rs 97 billion under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) are false.
“This is a complete lie. My company has not received even a single rupee from BISP,” said Miftah Ismail. He clarified that Ismail Industries has never sold any product to BISP.
However, he admitted that his company has supplied materials to the World Food Program (WFP), a completely separate entity.
Miftah Ismail welcomed any official investigation into the matter. He said the government is free to examine all records if it suspects irregularities. “They can send the case to NAB. I have nothing to hide,” he added.
He also mentioned that both he and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are “NAB specialists,” referring to their past experience with inquiries by the National Accountability Bureau.
On Friday, the Senate referred the matter to the relevant standing committee after accusations surfaced. The allegations include awarding a major contract under the Benazir Nashonuma Programme to his own company, allegedly bypassing Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
Miftah Ismail has rejected any conflict of interest and said the charges are baseless. He emphasized that his business has followed all legal procedures and has no connection with the BISP program.
The matter is now expected to be reviewed further by the Senate committee.
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