NAB court indicts PPP leader, spouse

Arbab Alamgir, wife Asma charged with possessing assets beyond known sources of income

PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Thursday indicted former federal minister Dr Arbab Alamgir and his wife, Asma Alamgir, a former MNA, in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The two have been charged with possessing assets beyond their known sources of income. Peshawar Accountability Court Judge Ishtiaq Ahmed heard the case.

Both the leaders, who belonged to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), pleaded not guilty to the charges, stating all their assets were amassed through known sources.

NAB had alleged that both the suspects accumulated assets to the tune of Rs332 million, which were disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The court summoned four witnesses on January 24 to commence the trial.

NAB claimed that during investigation it was revealed that both of the suspects had accumulated huge assets worth millions of rupees disproportionate to their income.

As per the reference, the inquiry was authorised on November 4, 2015 and was subsequently converted into investigation with the approval of NAB executive board on January 12, 2018.

NAB alleged that during investigation, it surfaced that the suspects accumulated movable and immovable assets including a house in G-11/3 Islamabad; 10-kanal land at Mauza Shah Alladitta, Islamabad; a bungalow in F-7/2 Islamabad; prize bonds; a land rover vehicle and several bank transactions.

NAB claimed that the reference was pertaining to the assets in Pakistan whereas a supplementary reference regarding their foreign assets would be filed after receipt of documentary evidence through Mutual Legal Assistance from foreign countries.

While rejecting the charges against them, Asma said their assets have been in the family for the past 200 years.

"We have disclosed even the properties that were not in our names," said Arbab.

While criticising NAB, Alamgir said, "The LDA reference against the Punjab Assembly speaker has been shut while we have been indicted in court.”

“Why does the law that applied to Pervaiz Elahi not apply to anyone else?"

"When I -- being a woman -- can come to the court myself, why can't those hiding under the umbrella of the law like Parvez Khattak and Mehmood Khan do the same?"

Alamgir said “I have intimated NAB about all our properties, even the ones which are not on my name.”

Tight security arrangements were put in place to avoid any untoward incident during the hearing.