NAB closes one case against Nawaz Sharif

Bureau reluctant to review remaining cases fearing closure due to lack of evidence.

LAHORE: Official documents obtained by The Express Tribune reveal that at least one case against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has been closed. The revelation runs contrary to the statement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) spokesperson, who claimed the bureau had not closed a single case against the Sharif brothers.

The allegations in this case against Nawaz state that during his tenure as prime minister, 30 officials – ranging between the ranks of constable and assistant director – were appointed in the FIA, despite opposition from the agency’s director general.

Sources say the closure of the case against Nawaz regarding illegal appointments in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is just the start, adding that the other two inquiries and five investigations against the Sharif brothers (which remain pending), if reviewed transparently, will likely be closed due to lack of evidence. Hence, it is alleged, both NAB and the federal government are reluctant to review the remaining inquiries and investigations, since they want to maintain some threat against the brothers, the sources further revealed.

According to the contents of the official documents titled “review of old cases against politicians”, the decision on one case reads: “The misuse of authority is only corroborated with the statements of witnesses recorded under Section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code…  there is no element of personal gain coupled with the misuse of authority. Therefore, concrete documentary evidence to incriminate Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is missing.” The document added that the witnesses’ statements needed to be reevaluated since they were all 12 years old.

On July 2, the NAB spokesperson said that proceedings on cases against Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were under process, adding that no case against brothers had been closed. However, the review committee for the cases against politicians – comprising four NAB directors and a Deputy Prosecutor General Accountability (DPGA) of the bureau’s Rawalpindi chapter – suggested these recommendations on May 25, 2012.

Official documents further revealed that the NAB Rawalpindi chapter forwarded the draft reference to the bureau headquarters (HQ) on October 11, 2000, while the inquiry was authorised on December 18, 1999.

NAB to summon Naheed Khan, her sister

NAB has decided to summon Naheed Khan, a former political secretary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and her sister in an inquiry into assets beyond known sources of income.

The contents of “review of old cases against politicians” reveal that the five-member review committee deemed the defence’s version in the case necessary for a logical conclusion. The committee, therefore, recommended that the bureau summon the accused in the case – Naheed and her sister – for the defence’s version.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2012.