–Anti-graft watchdog concludes election restraint, summons Shehbaz Sharif in power company case
–PML-Q’s Chaudhry brothers also summoned on Aug 16 in assets beyond means case
LAHORE: With the end of elections season, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has concluded its policy of restraint towards those alleged of corruption, and has begun reviewing the pending cases.
The NAB on Friday summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif for August 20.
This is the third time that the anti-graft body has summoned Shehbaz in Punjab Power Company case.
The PML-N chief has been directed to appear before the joint investigation team in NAB Lahore office on August 20 and answer the questions during the interrogation period.
Shehbaz had last appeared before NAB earlier in July regarding a probe pertaining to alleged corruption in the Punjab Power Company (PPC) and the Saaf Pani Company (SPC). The anti-graft body had summoned the former CM on July 5 but Sharif had requested the bureau to allow him to appear a day earlier due to personal commitments. The PML-N president had been summoned by the anti-graft bureau as he was accused of misusing authority while being the Punjab CM.
After Shehbaz had failed to appear before the anti-graft bureau, it had asked the police to produce him before the bureau. The former CM had already skipped two NAB hearing in cases pertaining to the irregularities in the Saaf Pani Company and Ashiana Housing scams.
In an interview, the former Punjab CM had stated that 2018 general elections would not be considered free and fair if the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) continues to victimise PML-N in the name of accountability.
CHAUDHRY BROTHERS SUMMONED:
Also, the NAB has summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Shujaat Hussain in assets beyond means case. The Chaudhry brothers will have to appear before the NAB team on August 16.
Last year, the NAB had re-opened the probe against both party leaders and asked them to come to the bureau’s Lahore office on November 6, 2017, and submit details of their assets.
RESTRAINT ENDS:
On July 4, the anti-graft body had decided that election candidates undergoing an investigation by the bureau will not be arrested until general elections on July 25.
The restraint was put to an end on Thursday when NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal chaired a meeting to review the status of bureau’s pending cases.
He also formed a committee for the implementation of the apex court’s directives in different cases, including those in the top court. He also directed the operation and prosecution wings to pursue corruption references in different accountability courts for early adjudication.
He said it was the NAB’s duty to recover looted money from corrupt and deposit it in the national exchequer.
The NAB prosecution wing also briefed the meeting about the ongoing corruption references against Sharifs and former finance minister Ishaq Dar in the accountability court.