Babar Saleem Swati, the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, has been cleared in a major Babar Saleem Swati corruption inquiry. An internal party investigation found no evidence to back the allegations against him, according to a detailed report.
Qazi Anwar, a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Internal Accountability Committee, led the investigation. His seven-page report dismissed all claims of corruption and misuse of power. The report has now been submitted to PTI’s Secretary General, Salman Akram Raja.
The Babar Saleem Swati corruption inquiry investigated accusations made by PTI leader Azam Swati. These accusations included financial mismanagement and unlawful appointments. However, the report found no proof to support any of the claims.
It concluded that Babar Saleem Swati had no role in the Rs30 million spent on the renovation of the Speaker’s House. His official trip to Australia was also found justified and part of his duties.
While Class IV employees were hired without public advertisements, the appointments were in line with the rules and based on recommendations from the Employment Exchange Office. Similarly, all other appointments and promotions, such as that of the Special Secretary, followed legal procedures through the Departmental Promotion Committee.
The investigation also highlighted that as Speaker, Babar Saleem Swati is answerable only to the Assembly and not to PTI’s internal committee. Notably, Babar had himself requested the inquiry to clear his name after allegations were made public.
During the Babar Saleem Swati corruption inquiry, Azam Swati was asked to present evidence. The report now reveals that no credible evidence was provided.
However, some internal differences emerged. Qazi Anwar rejected the accusations entirely, while Musaddiq Abbasi believed a few of Azam’s claims needed further attention. Due to this difference, the case was referred to a third committee member for a final decision. Anwar said the final verdict by the third member would be accepted.
Controversy deepened when Anwar submitted the report directly to Salman Akram Raja instead of presenting it to Imran Khan. This action violated the committee’s standard operating procedures (SOPs), which mandate that such reports be shared only with the PTI founder.
Anwar admitted to breaching the SOP but explained that Raja had requested the report. He acknowledged that, according to rules, he should not have sent it to anyone except Imran Khan.
The Babar Saleem Swati corruption inquiry comes at a critical time. Earlier reports suggested a no-confidence move was being considered against Swati. Party sources claimed that Imran Khan, during a meeting at Adiala Jail, had conveyed that Babar should resign if found guilty.
