NAB summons Shehbaz on July 5

NA opposition leader accused of corruption and accumulating extraordinary assets

LAHORE: NAB Lahore has summoned National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif, on July 5, in a money laundering and assets accumulated beyond known means of income case.

The notice has been delivered to the 96-H Model Town residence of the Sharif family. The bureau asked Shehbaz to appear before an NA pposition leader accused of corruption and accumulating extraordinary assetsinvestigation team on July 5 and also called for details of inheritance received from Mian Muhammad Sharif.

It also asked for the details of assets owned by his spouses, including the year and cost of acquisition/construction.

It also asked for details of the sources of funds and foreign remittances of Rs112.3 million, received in the year 2009 and 2010, from Nusrat Shehbaz Sharif.

NAB asked Shahbaz to provide details of all foreign his assets (bought/sold). The bureau summoned details of all foreign bank accounts, statements, gifts (cash or otherwise) given to family members, houses and plots gifted to his spouse(s).

On April 9, Shehbaz skipped an appearance before the bureau and asked that the date be rescheduled.

He was already facing corruption cases against him in the 56 companies case, Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Society scam, Ramza Sugar Mills case and others.

In terms of the money-laundering case, the Financial Monitoring Unit of NAB observed an unusual transaction into the family’s accounts.

After Shahbaz’s arrest in the Ashiana scam, he recorded a statement that Salman Shahbaz was looking after his financial matters. NAB formed a committee to probe the matter and investigation led to the unearthing of money-laundering evidence against the Sharif family.

NAB arrested many suspects, including Hamza Shahbaz and Mushtaq alias Chini, in the case. Chini has turned into an approver in the case. In his revelations before NAB, he said the Sharif family signed fake loan and business agreements with him. He admitted to playing a role in laundering money for the family.

Meanwhile, wife of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif, Mussarat Asif, his son Khawaja Asad and Sialkot Mayor Chaudhry Tauheed Akhtar skipped a NAB hearing in the Sialkot Cantonment Housing Scheme complaint.

These NAB received numerous complaints in this case that the developers were cheating the public at large.

The NAB team waited for their appearance, but none of the suspects appeared. The bureau planned to summon them again next week.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2019.