Shujaat appears before NAB, Elahi gets exemption due to PA speaker’s election

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday while his cousin Chaudhry Pervez Elahi sought exemption from appearance due to the election for speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

The anti-graft watchdog had summoned the two PML-Q leaders in a case pertaining to owning assets beyond known sources of income.

However, Elahi sought exemption from the appearance as he was attending the session of Punjab Assembly during which the PML-Q leader was elected as the speaker of the provincial assembly.

A substantial number of shares in various companies have allegedly been found to be owned by Hussain and Elahi, according to NAB Lahore office.

Moreover, banking transactions pertaining to large amounts in both of the leaders’ names have also reportedly been uncovered by the anti-corruption watchdog.

Moreover, the Chaudhry brothers have reportedly been unable to provide verified details of their assets.

If the verified details are not provided to the anti-graft body, it reserves the right to initiate an inquiry against them under Schedule Two.

Furthermore, both PML-Q leaders have already recorded their statements to the bureau earlier.

Earlier in 2017, Hussain and Elahi appeared before a three-member team of the anti-corruption watchdog in the case pertaining to owning assets beyond known sources of income.

The inquiry started 12 years ago, before the General Musharaff regime.

Shujaat briefly remained prime minister of Pakistan in 2004 while Elahi was chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007.

Before joining Musharraf’s government, they were associated with PML-Nawaz.