After hectic efforts of several months, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) now seems in a position to get hold of fugitive former OGRA chairman Tauqir Sadiq, as the NAB team has started procedural process with the Interpol for taking custody of the accused.
Following the development, the former OGRA chief, who is currently in the custody of Interpol, could be handed over to NAB officials in Dubai after completion of official process anytime soon.
“Sadiq has been placed in Interpol’s custody in Dubai. The NAB team is present there and has started procedural process for taking the accused into custody,” said Ramzan Sajid, a spokesman for NAB.
He said NAB was doing all to take custody of accused as soon as possible.
Sadiq has been declared a proclaimed offender and is the principal accused in a Rs 82 billion corruption case. NAB sources in Islamabad said in the next few hours, the accused could be handed over to NAB team in Dubai.
After declaring his appointment as OGRA chief illegal on November 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ordered NAB to arrest Sadiq. However, Sadiq, who is a close relative of PPP senior leader Jahangir Badr, managed to leave Pakistan although his name was placed on the exit control list.
The Supreme Court has been directing the NAB to arrest the accused, however, NAB did not properly purse the case during the PPP tenure, providing an opportunity to the accused to prolong his stay.
Sadiq’s illegal appointment was made by none other than former prime ministers of PPP – Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
As both Gilani and Ashraf were part of the interview panel that selected Sadiq to look after the ‘affairs’ of OGRA. Gilani gave the final call to make the illegal appointment.
Besides pointing out corruption of Sadiq, the NAB investigation team also accused him of converting the operating income of two public utilities — the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and Sui Southern Gas Company — into non-operating income, resulting in a Rs 38 billion additional burden on consumers.
Since his escape we have been told a number of times when he will be brought to Pakistan but nothing happened. I have my doubts about this time as well. He has some very powerful people (Zardari & Co. ??) protecting him, or in other words, sharing the booty with him that at least NAB and FIA seem helpless to apprehend him.
This time this for sure he will be brought back, But the question arises how the money will be recovered from him.
I think Tauqir Sadiq has documentary proofs against those who collaborated with him or benefited from the loot, and reportedly big names from bureaucracy, judiciary and politics are included in that list. Last time when the heat was turned on and media created the hype of Tauqir being brought back in a matter of hours there came a statement from Tauqir Sadiq that he would reveal names of big judges, politicians and other ppl from corridor of power etc. The bubble was bursted and next morning media carried stories of legal complications that were delaying TS arrival to Pakistan. Fingers crossed lets hope this time around he really returns and tells all.
Comments are closed.