ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to approve a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs433 million for payment of legal fees in a London high court case, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday.
Broadsheet LLC pursued a case of arbitration against the government of Pakistan through the NAB in the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, London. The arbitrator issued Part Final Award (Quantum) and Part Final Award (Costs) for $27.2 million, with interest enforced after 60 days.
$2.3 million is still outstanding. In addition, there is the matter of the fees of foreign lawyers and firms, which amount to £150,000.
Due to scarcity of funds in the current financial year, NAB is not in a position to meet its recurring expenditures within the authorized budget. In view of the financial constraints against mandatory expenditures, the anti-graft body approached the ECC to help cover the Rs433 million shortfall.
The Finance Division has provided funds of Rs433m out of their own resources, enabling NAB to initiate a case for allocation of a TSG.
The office of Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) has already clarified that the NAB may process their summaries directly without routing through the Law and Justice Division.
