NAB comes after Sharif brothers over ‘illegal construction’ of Raiwind road

• NAB decides to probe delaying of Nandipur Power Project

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Wednesday decided to file six references, including one against the ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab.

In a meeting of the executive board, the NAB chief directed the bureau to file six corruption references, complete four pending enquiries and 11 investigations against different politicians and officers.

The reference against the two Sharif brothers and others is related to the allegedly illegal construction of a road leading to their residence in 2000, a NAB press release said.

The Sharif brothers allegedly caused a loss of nearly Rs125 million to the national exchequer by illegally constructing a two-way road between Raiwind and the Sharif family residence in 2000, the statement said.

The Sharif family has already been facing three references by the NAB in the aftermath of Panama case verdict in which the elder Sharif was disqualified by the apex court. The corruption references filed against the Sharif family were pertaining to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties, and over dozen offshore companies allegedly owned by the family.

Moreover, NAB’s request to the Supreme Court to reopening Hudaibiya Mills case was dismissed by the court.

NANDIPUR POWER PROJECT: The board also approved an investigation in relation to the Nandipur power project in which former minister Babar Awan, former minister for water and power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others are included for allegedly causing a delay in the project, that caused the national exchequer a loss of Rs113 billion.

Besides the Sharif family, the bureau has also been directed to file a corruption reference against Sahibzada Khalid, former chairman of Pakistan Tobacco Board, relating to alleged illegal appointments, and Syed Asif Akhtar Hashmi, ex-chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board, for misusing his authority and alleged irregularities in allotment of 450 plots – which resulted in a loss of billions to the public exchequer.

The anti-corruption watchdog will also file corruption references against former secretary of Sindh Labour, Nasar Hayat, and others, and WAPDA ex-chairman Tariq Hameed.

The NAB Executive Board also approved a reference against Dr Zafar Iqbal, former vice-chancellor of Federal Urdu University, for alleged embezzlement and misuse of authority.

The bureau will also launch investigations into the alleged corruption of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, former minister for telecommunications Dr Arbab Alamgir and his wife Asma Arbab, Balochistan ex-CM Aslam Raisani, Balochistan Workers Welfare Board former secretary Mumtaz Ali Khan, former MNAs Ghulam Haider Thind and Sultan Mahmood Hanjar, DG Khan ex-commissioner Fayyaz Bashir, and Faisalabad T&N Director Riaz Ahmad Chawla and others.