The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested yesterday Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, former speaker of the National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) on charges of corruption and misuse of powers.

The former speaker, who was reportedly taken into custody from Lahore, was due to be shifted to Rawalpindi some time last night, where he would be further interrogated and later produced in the accountability court.Gilani is senior vice chairman of Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Talking to Gulf News, Farhatullah Babar, spokesman of the PPP, said he was informed of the arrest of Gilani last evening.

"What I have been told is that a heavy contingent of police, assisted by two army officers, raided his Lahore residence and took him without listing any charges."

Sources in the NAB said that Gilani was arrested primarily on five charges of corruption and misuse of authority which caused the national exchequer loss of millions of rupees.

Of these, the main charge is that as speaker, he made 339 illegal appointments in relaxation of rules, which caused a loss of over Rs 30 million on an annual basis. Some of these appointments were made against the prescribed rules, NAB officials said and added that dismissed officers were given employment.

Gilani is also charged with buying several vehicles when he was speaker, which NAB officials said were luxurious ones and their purchase could have been avoided to save Rs2 million.

He has also been accused of buying 10 vehicles for his three residences in Lahore, Islamabad and Multan causing loss to the national exchequer. Further, he had eight telephones installed at his three residences which caused a loss of Rs0.3 million. He set up camp offices in Lahore, Islamabad and Multan against rules.

Another charge brought against Gilani is that as speaker he awarded a contract to a party as a special favour to renovate the parliament building, after it had caught fire. This caused the national exchequer a loss of millions of rupees.

PPP chief and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has strongly condemned Gilani's arrest o and demanded his immediate release, says a press statement issued from the party's Islamabad chapter.

It quoted Benazir as saying that the regime had gone berserk since the announcement of her plan to return to Pakistan as part of the movement for restoration of democracy.