Road to Raiwind lands Sharifs into NAB pothole

NAB board approves investigations against two PPP PMs

ISLAMABAD: The NAB Executive Board on Wednesday decided to file a reference against the Sharif brothers over misuse of public money in a road construction project for their home in Lahore.

It also authorised investigations against two former prime ministers belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Raja Pervaiz Ashraf will face an investigation regarding Rs113 billion loss to the national exchequer caused by delay in the execution of the Nandipur Power Project and Yousuf Raza Gilani for misuse of authority in appointments in the Saindak Metal Limited.

The board approved the corruption reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif for misuse of public funds amounting to Rs126 million, spent on the construction of the two-lane road from Raiwind to their family residence. Three corruption references are already pending before an accountability court against former PM Sharif.



Investigations against the Sharif brothers and others for “misuse of authority in construction of road from Raiwind to Sharif family house” were initiated by the National Accountability Bureau on April 17, 2000. It was among 146 high-profile cases cited in a list by the bureau.

Now, after a lapse of over 17 years, NAB has completed the investigations and decided to file the reference before an accountability court.

The NAB board approved the filing of six corruption references, 11 investigations and four inquiries.

It approved an investigation against former PPP law minister Dr Babar Awan, who recently joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, former water and power minister Pervez Ashraf and others for delay in the Nandi project.



Former PM Gilani will face an investigation over the appointments of former managing director of Saindak Metal Limited Muhammad Razzaq Sanjrani and others.

An investigation was approved against former chief minister of Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani for receiving and distributing among his relatives government compensation amounting to Rs1.8 billion.

An investigation was also ordered against former communications minister Arbab Alamgir and his wife and ex-MNA Asma Arbab for accumulation of assets amounting to Rs2.5 billion beyond their known sources of income.

NAB also approved a corruption reference against the Federal Urdu University’s former vice chancellor Dr Zafar Iqbal on charges of misappropriation of Rs102.24 million.



Investigations against former chairman of National Insurance Company Ayaz Khan Niazi, Federal Board of Revenue’s additional secretary Hammad Owais Agha and Frontier Education Foundation managing director Hifzur Rehman were also ordered.

A corruption reference will be filed against former chairman of Water and Power Development Authority Tariq Hamid and others for misuse of authority and violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules in a rental power project. A reference against a former chairman of the Evacuee Trust, Syed Asif Akhtar Hashmi, was also approved.

NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, who presided over the board meeting, instructed the officials concerned to complete the pending investigations, inquiries and references within the time specified in the bureau’s standard operating procedures.