Nawaz wants NAB probe into Aleema Khan’s properties

From where has she accumulated assets worth billions, asks ex-PM

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday demanded of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the properties of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan in Dubai.

Talking informally to reporters at the accountability court in Islamabad, Nawaz said that he is not in habit of doing politics of allegations, but if he stayed silent, opponents claim that he [Nawaz] had made compromises.

“From where Aleema Khan accumulated properties worth billions of rupees. She is a board member of the Shaukat Khanum Hospital and she has no sources of income. She must provide money trail of her properties in Dubai,” Nawaz told journalists.

“NAB must investigate who is behind these assets,” demanded. He invoked former president Pervez Musharraf’s amnesty scheme under a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), saying that Aleema Khan paid penalties for hiding assets “doesn’t it tantamount to getting an NRO”.

Nawaz defended the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s performance. “We saved Rs160 billion on electricity projects. Did anyone praise Shehbaz Sharif for that? Instead NAB threw him in jail,” he continued.

“During our tenure, farmers were happy. Fertilisers were inexpensive. During our tenure, flour, rice, grains were inexpensive. We pulled the country out of darkness and increased foreign exchange results. We built JF-17 jets with the help of China,” the PML-N supremo reminded. “What we got in return.”

Turning to the performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, he asked what the rulers have done so far. “The government has completed the 100 days in office and tell me what they have done. They are not even operationalising the projects we initiated and completed,” he said.

He said that the Multan-Lahore motorway was ready but the government was not opening it. “Name it the PTI motorway but at least make it operational,” Sharif added in a sarcastic tone.

When asked about the NAB charges against him, Nawaz said that the definition of assets beyond income means “there is no allegation against that person”, adding: “Will a person who comes back from London after being awarded jail, go for an NRO?”

Earlier, before the hearing of reference in the court he consulted his lawyers. He said that the Ittefaq Foundary used to export agricultural tools in the 1960s and the first-ever Mercedes in Lahore was imported for him and there are so many witnesses of that fact.

His lawyer Sher Afgan Asadi said that pictures of that time can be presented in the court. However, Senator Pervaiz Rashid said it was unnecessary because Nawaz’s stance in the reference is different.

Meanwhile, during hearing on Wednesday, the accountability court provided a questionnaire to Nawaz to record his statement under Section 342 in the Flagship Investment corruption reference, while Nawaz's lawyer Khawaja Haris concluded cross-examination of the NAB Investigation Officer Muhammad Kamran.

The questionnaire shared with the defense side contains 62 questions. On Thursday (today), NAB would also submit its statement with the court, regarding completion of its evidence in Flagship Investment reference against Sharif family members.

Meanwhile, a full bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar will hear the case about properties of Pakistanis abroad tomorrow (Friday). Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Ijazul Ahsan are also part of the bench.

The FIA had submitted a report in this regard which mentioned the property of Aleema Khan, the sister of Prime Minister Imran khan, in Dubai. The property was mentioned at number 38 in the FIA list.