Raja Faisal
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chaudhry Qamar Zaman has no influence over the Sharif family cases. The chairman, who has been abroad on a preplanned foreign tour, is due to return to Pakistan on Saturday.
The absence of the NAB chairman did not affect the probe as the combined investigation teams (CIT) of Lahore and Rawalpindi have been investigating the cases referred by the Supreme Court in the light of the verdict in Panama case.
“When it was decided in the first meeting – post Panama verdict – to investigate all the cases referred by the SC, the CITs were formed and were given a timeframe to conclude the investigation. The CITs have been investigating the cases in accordance to the time table while the honourable Justice Ijazul Ahsan has been overseeing the proceedings”, a NAB source told Pakistan Today.
“This is the first time that the investigations are being carried out seriously looking at the magnitude of the cases. Previously, whenever the probe on the cases was initiated, it was on the political basis as the previous governments were using the cases for political gains. Appointment of a judge to oversee the investigations by NAB is clearly making a difference”, he added.
Importantly, in October 2011, then NAB Chairman Fasih Bukhari signed an application and requested the accountability court to reopen three references against the Sharif family – the references to probe the very cases being probed in light of Panama Papers case – but was quashed on the political basis.
NAB spokesperson for Asim Ali Nawazish, talking to Pakistan Today regarding the proceedings, said that the both combined investigation teams of Lahore and Rawalpindi were investigating their cases in light of Panama case verdict and directions given by the Supreme Court while a judge was overseeing it. The CITs were not to answer the NAB chairman NAB but to the justice, he added.
NAB divided over Hudaibiya Paper Mills case
“NAB is divided over the reopening of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case as it can generate serious repercussions for the Sharif family”, a NAB official told Pakistan Today.
According to the source, the officers of the NAB Prosecution Wing were of the opinion that the reopening of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case could speed up the investigation process. But the senior officers – who were close associates of NAB chairman – were of the opposite view.
‘The official claimed if the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case is reopened, it can bring serious consequences to Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’.
Asim Ali Nawazish declared the statements from within NAB regarding the possible divide within NAB over the reopening of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case as “speculations” and firmly advocated that NAB believed in “zero corruption and 100 percent development”.
Earlier, the NAB had not only decided to accelerate the investigations into cases of Sharif Family but also had conveyed to the Supreme Court that the NAB was planning to file appeal to reopen the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case. The NAB had also collected evidences against Sharif family and Ishaq Dar in Hudaibiya Paper Mills.
