NAB summons Saad Rafique, brother Salman in Paragon case

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  • The anti-graft body summons both brothers on March 22 where three-member investigation team will record their statements

  • On March 10, Rafique tells the Supreme Court (SC) that he is not the owner of any housing scheme and has no links with Paragon City

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday summoned Federal Minister for Railways and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Saad Rafique and his brother, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on March 22 in Paragon City corruption case.

According to sources, a three-member NAB investigation team will record their statements.

On March 15, in an official handout, the anti-graft body’s spokesman said that NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal had approved investigation against Khawaja Saad, several PR officials and others for alleged embezzlement in the procurement of modern computer-based interlocking system, generators and other equipment for Rohri-Tando Adam Khan sector.

While responding to NAB’s announcement, Khawaja Saad who took to the social media site Twitter to lodge his protest against the anti-graft body’s decision.

“I have never trusted NAB. This institution was formed by General (r) Pervez Musharraf to squeeze his opponents. They want to take away the credit of reforming Pakistan Railways from me,” tweeted the minister.

Saad Rafique did not stop here and continued his attacks against the decision of NAB.

“Why do you launch attacks while in disguise? Which law permits you to take such actions? You may investigate and examine but do not humiliate us,” the minister added.

In a follow-up tweet, the minister said he was absorbing threats on a daily basis and still responded to the situation with a smile.

“I am being provoked to respond in the same manner. May Allah bless this country. We are the ones who overhauled the state institutions. In a bid to take revenge on us, you are damaging these (overhauled) institutions,” the minister said without elaborating whom he was referring to.

But the tirade did not stop here as Saad Rafique hit back at NAB’s decision a few more times.

“If I am corrupt, then no one is honest. NAB should avoid character assassination on someone else’s orders. They first accuse you and investigate later,” the minister said while adding that he may not be rewarded for serving the nation but he should not be punished for serving the national cause.

Furthermore, on March 10, Rafique told the Supreme Court (SC) that he is not the owner of any housing scheme and has no links with Paragon City.

The federal minister made these comments whilst appearing before the SC Lahore registry hearing the Paragon City case. He further added before the court that sponsored programmes were being run against him on media where he was either declared owner of twins tower or housing schemes.

 

 

1 COMMENT

  1. “They first accuse you and investigate later”, says the Minister. Is he aware that’s how the law operates universally? That a person is accused then investigated? This is the level of legal understanding of PML-N Ministers. Guess they were too busy minting money to spare time to read up on the law. Or perhaps they never thought that NAB would one day have the audacity to take them to task.

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