Pakistan

Off the hook: PTI readies another reference against Dar

BBC documentary on money laundering likely to be cited as evidence

Our Correspondent July 25, 2016

Alvi, however, had demanded that the PAC summon a special meeting over the issue within 15 days or he would requisition a meeting with the support of PAC members. . PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will go ahead and file a reference against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) weeks after he was cleared of corruption charges in another case.

PTI did not say who is going to file the reference against Dar or reveal the nature of the charges. However, sources told The Express Tribune that Ishaq Khakwani has been tasked to draft the reference while Additional Secretary General Siafullah Niazi would be filing on behalf of PTI.

Earlier, NAB had declared Dar innocent in a multi-billion rupee corruption case, citing ‘lack of evidence’.

The sources said the party had rejected NAB’s decision and decided to present evidence against Dar. The party did mention, in particular, a documentary of the BBC on money laundering and the affidavit submitted by Dar in this regard, the sources added.

In addition, the reference would mention Raymond W Baker’s book Capitalism’s Achilles Heel wherein he accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of corruption. The PTI is of the view that PML-N had not taken any legal action against Raymond Backer or the BBC for levelling accusations.

The sources said the reference would contain revelations made in the Panama Papers. The decision has come ahead of PTI’s proposed protest in front of NAB headquarters on Monday.

The government has started blocking roads leading to the NAB headquarters ahead of the PTI’s protest. “We condemn this step of the government and want to make it clear it will be wholly responsible for any violence that may occur,” PTI said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had taken up the letter submitted by PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi, asking chairman Khurshid Shah to quiz seven government agencies about their response to the Panama leaks.

Alvi asked Shah to summon officials of FBR, NAB, the SBP, SECP, the FIA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. “We have sent letters to government agencies mentioned in the application,” PAC Joint Secretary Syed Fayyaz Shah told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

Shah said the meeting of PAC would be convened when the PAC secretariat gets a response.

Alvi, however, had demanded that the PAC summon a special meeting over the issue within 15 days or he would requisition a meeting with the support of PAC members.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (2)

Zafar Iqbal | 7 years ago | Reply NAB says they have given a clean chit in a case of PTI as well so why don't we call it EVEN STEVENS. Bravo NAB, is this your SOP?

Uza Syed | 7 years ago | Reply Reference against Dar in the NAB!?! What is this stupidity or self-deception? It is in the public c interest that you must go to the Lahore High Court with a petition against them both for collective crime of corruption and collusion. NAB, under its incumbent chairman, has itself lost its credibility

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