Too many assets : Chaudhry cousins make NAB appearance
Say they are not afraid of facing accountability
PHOTO: File
LAHORE:
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday.
The Chaudhry cousins presented themselves before a three-member team of the anti-graft body which was recording their statements in an inquiry related to their alleged accumulation of assets beyond their known sources of income.
After appearing before the NAB team, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told the media in a news conference that they had provided all information required by NAB and assured their full cooperation to the body in future. Elahi underscored that they were not scared of such inquiries because they gathered all their assets through legal means.
This inquiry has been ongoing for 12 years, but NAB could not find a piece of evidence against us,” he maintained.
“Such inquiries are not new for us. During the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) rule, 135 cases were registered against our family. Murder cases were also registered against me, but we never dare to disrespect any national institution.”
Shujaat says Sharifs will pay for Model Town tragedy
The PML senior leader said during their previous tenure, the Sharif brothers also carried out a series of inquiries against them, but could not find anything. “Before every election, PML opponents present several such evidences against our family just to avoid facing us in the polls. They have always failed to prove anything before the election commission,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said, those who had these cases reopened should get themselves cleared from mega corruption scandals. He said he was not sure whether their case was similar to that of Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar. “It is up to my lawyers to see how similar our case is with Dar’s,” he added.
Answering another question, Elahi said PML-Q had always respected national institutions. “By not appearing before the anti-graft body, Dar’s sons had shown their conduct towards state institutions.” He said his family had presented all documents required by NAB in the past and it would provide the same information if asked again. The former Punjab chief minister said his party would never undermine the authority of national institutions.
The anti-graft body had also summoned Dar’s sons, Hasnain Dar and Ali Dar, in a case against their father, but they failed to appear. A NAB spokesman said the bureau would resend notices to finance minister’s sons for an appearance, as per the law, before taking any further action.
During the rule of former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, Elahi was the chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. He was appointed as the one and only deputy prime minister of Pakistan.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain defected to PML after Nawaz Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000. He contested for election from Gujrat through a PML-Q ticket and initially became parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly.
In January 2003, Shujaat took over the party’s presidency after succeeding Mian Muhammad Azhar at a party convention.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2017.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday.
The Chaudhry cousins presented themselves before a three-member team of the anti-graft body which was recording their statements in an inquiry related to their alleged accumulation of assets beyond their known sources of income.
After appearing before the NAB team, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told the media in a news conference that they had provided all information required by NAB and assured their full cooperation to the body in future. Elahi underscored that they were not scared of such inquiries because they gathered all their assets through legal means.
This inquiry has been ongoing for 12 years, but NAB could not find a piece of evidence against us,” he maintained.
“Such inquiries are not new for us. During the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) rule, 135 cases were registered against our family. Murder cases were also registered against me, but we never dare to disrespect any national institution.”
Shujaat says Sharifs will pay for Model Town tragedy
The PML senior leader said during their previous tenure, the Sharif brothers also carried out a series of inquiries against them, but could not find anything. “Before every election, PML opponents present several such evidences against our family just to avoid facing us in the polls. They have always failed to prove anything before the election commission,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said, those who had these cases reopened should get themselves cleared from mega corruption scandals. He said he was not sure whether their case was similar to that of Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar. “It is up to my lawyers to see how similar our case is with Dar’s,” he added.
Answering another question, Elahi said PML-Q had always respected national institutions. “By not appearing before the anti-graft body, Dar’s sons had shown their conduct towards state institutions.” He said his family had presented all documents required by NAB in the past and it would provide the same information if asked again. The former Punjab chief minister said his party would never undermine the authority of national institutions.
The anti-graft body had also summoned Dar’s sons, Hasnain Dar and Ali Dar, in a case against their father, but they failed to appear. A NAB spokesman said the bureau would resend notices to finance minister’s sons for an appearance, as per the law, before taking any further action.
During the rule of former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, Elahi was the chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. He was appointed as the one and only deputy prime minister of Pakistan.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain defected to PML after Nawaz Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000. He contested for election from Gujrat through a PML-Q ticket and initially became parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly.
In January 2003, Shujaat took over the party’s presidency after succeeding Mian Muhammad Azhar at a party convention.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2017.