PML-N mulls legal options to 'take NAB chief to task' over allegations

Party CEC meeting discusses money laundering probe, poll issues

ISLAMABAD: A top-level huddle of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Friday demanded resignation of National Accountability Bureau Chairman (NAB) Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal and vowed to take legal steps to "take him to task".

A statement from the PML-N said party 'Quaid' Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting of the PML-N's central executive committee (CEC) but sources insisted that the huddle was 'informal' in nature since Sharif was not authorised to hold any party meeting after being disqualified by the Supreme Court from holding any public or party office in the Panamagate case.

"The decisions taken in the meeting have a symbolic value — nothing more than that," said a PML-N leader who said that only Raja Zafarul Haq, in his capacity as CEC chairman was authorised to convene the meeting.

The informal meeting was mainly held against the backdrop of a press release issued by NAB on Tuesday in which the anti-corruption watchdog said it took notice of a column that appeared in an Urdu daily on February 1, 2018, suggesting that Sharif and his aides laundered some $4.9 billion to India.

PHOTO: PML-N

The column cited a World Bank report, accusing Sharif of money laundering. NAB said it launched the probe into alleged money laundering citing the said column.

However, the same day when the NAB's presser came, the World Bank issued a statement to deny that its report from 2016 levelled money laundering allegations against the former prime minister.

Since then, the accountability watchdog has been under fire.



"Everyone involved in this lie would not only be exposed but all the options would be exercised to get them punished through legal means — we would foil every conspiracy against our leader Nawaz Sharif and continue to wage legal, constitutional and democratic struggle till we wipe out all the stains of falsehood," said a strongly worded statement issued after the meeting.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Azad Jammu and Kashmir PM Raja Farooq Haider and other top PML-N leaders attended the huddle.

Sources privy to the meeting said the huddle discussed legal options against the NAB chairman but did not decide on initiating any legal action.

Some circles in the PML-N do not support initiating legal action against the NAB chief on the basis of a press release.

"The NAB's press release simply said that it launched an investigation on the allegations of money laundering levelled in a column. Nowhere in the said presser did NAB accuse Mian sahib or anyone of money laundering. This does not provide sufficient grounds to proceed against NAB or its chief," said a PML-N leader, requesting anonymity.

The source said top leaders in the N-League -- including Shehbaz and PM Abbasi -- want legal options open without exercising them — in order to keep NAB and its chief under pressure.

On the other hand, some circles in the PML-N are of the view that the PML-N should initiate legal action against the NAB chief even if there are not sufficient grounds to do so.

"We should move the Supreme Court against the NAB chairman. If our petition is turned down, we'll have the chance to play up the matter, accusing the superior judiciary of victimisation and discriminatory accountability against Mian sahib and the PML-N," a close confidante of Sharif said.

In response to serious allegations levelled by Sharif and his party, NAB has issued a rejoinder to reject the allegations as false and baseless.

"NAB outrightly rejects the impression of revenge or hurting anyone, as the bureau does not believe in revenge and is determined to eliminate corruption without any discrimination."



Meanwhile, the PML-N meeting discussed the constitution of the party's Parliamentary Board to award tickets for general elections.

The ruling party would seek applications from candidates for general elections from May 15. The fee for the National Assembly tickets has been fixed at Rs50,000, and Rs30,000 for four provincial assemblies per candidate per constituency.

The huddle also discussed the formation of the Manifesto Committee, Central Election Cell, Media Committee and Legal Aid Committee for the general elections.

Sources said the Parliamentary Board would be formed sometime after May 14 when the federal budget would be put up before the National Assembly for passage.

The Manifesto Committee would deal with spreading the PML-N's manifesto 'vote ko izzat do' (upholding the sanctity of ballot) for the general elections.

The Media Committee would deal with the strategy to engage, mobilise and 'manage' media for election campaigns while Legal Aid Committee would deal with the legal issues concerning general polls including the petitions related to constituencies' delimitation that are likely to land in superior judiciary.