NAB initiates probe of Zameer Abbasi over alleged assets, illegal appointments as Rs8.5bn Yellow Line graft case unfolds.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has opened a new inquiry into Zameer Abbasi, the primary suspect in the Rs8.5 billion Yellow Line graft case. The probe focuses on allegations that Abbasi holds assets that exceed his publicly known income and on accusations of illegal appointments and promotions within the Sindh government. Earlier in June, the Anti‑Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sindh booked Abbasi, who was then the project director of the Karachi Mobility Project (KMP), and others after an inquiry into alleged financial mismanagement in the KMP’s Yellow Line project. The inquiry committee report states that Abbasi and the then director of procurement, Jhaman, made Rs8.5bn in advance payments to contractors. Those payments were made without bank guarantees, even though the contracts themselves contained no clause allowing advance payments or financial assistance to contractors. As part of the NAB inquiry, the bureau has requested detailed records of immovable properties registered in the names of Abbasi, his wife, his children, and other family members. The data is sought from relevant departments to assess the legitimacy of the holdings. Abbasi’s career began with NAB, after which he was deputed to the Sindh Police as a d‑s‑p. Following a Supreme Court directive, he was moved back to NAB, where he served until 2016. That year he was appointed a grade‑17 section officer, an appointment that was later challenged in court on grounds of irregularities and an out‑of‑turn promotion. Abbasi also approached the court, alleging that colleagues who had joined service with him had already been promoted to grade 19; before the court could decide, Abbasi himself was promoted to grade 19. In 2022 he was appointed to another key position, but the appointment was challenged and the notification was suspended. After a period of limited public visibility he was once again appointed to an important role. ACE only managed to apprehend Abbasi in Lahore; he was then presented before the criminal court in Karachi. The provincial anti‑corruption court rejected his post‑arrest bail application. The report was published by Dawn on August 10, 2026.