Tag: NAB

  • Pakistani courts have become a ‘joke’, says ex-PM

    Pakistani courts have become a ‘joke’, says ex-PM

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that people laugh at the Pakistani courts as they have become a “joke”.

    The senior politician made these comments after an accountability court indicted him in LNG terminal and Pakistan State Oil appointments cases. The former prime minister along with others was implicated in both cases by the National Accountability Bureau.

    The PML-N leader has been accused of illegally appointing Sheikh Imranul Haq as the managing director of PSO and Yaqoob Sattar as the deputy managing director during his stint as petroleum minister. Abbasi’s son Abdullah and former finance minister Miftah Ismail are accused in the case.

    According to Geo News, the PML-N leader said people laugh at whatever is happening in our courts. According to Abbasi, he was handed a 26-page chargesheet that has 64 clauses. “Neither I nor over a dozen lawyers I talked have ever seen such long list before,” he said.

    The lawyers told me that it was not possible to have a chargesheet this long, he said, furthering commenting on the chargesheet. “They said only point 63 out of the 64 points in the document was the actual charge sheet,” the ex-PM added. This means the rest of the points are just added to insult me and the politicians of this country, he claimed.

    “One of the charges against me is that I changed the name of the Ministry of Petroleum to the Ministry of Energy during my tenure as the prime minister,” Abbasi added. 

    “This was my crime, according to this charge sheet. How is this in violation of any law?” he questioned.

    The PML-N stalwart asked NAB chief Javed Iqbal to debate with him if he has “courage”.

  • VIDEO: Cameras were installed in Maryam Nawaz’s jail cell, bathroom?

    VIDEO: Cameras were installed in Maryam Nawaz’s jail cell, bathroom?

    Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has claimed that cameras were installed in her jail cell and bathroom during detention in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases against her and other members of the Sharif family.

    In an interview on Wednesday, Maryam said that she has been to jail twice and if she revealed the details about how she and other female inmates were treated during detention, “they” will find no place to hide their faces.

    Maryam is currently leading PML-N’s election campaign for the November 15 Gilgit-Baltistan election.

    “I don’t want to hide behind these incidents at all. I’m struggling today, so I don’t want to show that I was affected; I don’t want to cry today that I have been abused,” she said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The PML-N vice president added that if her door room could be broken, if she can be arrested in front of her father for speaking the truth, if cameras can be installed inside her jail cell and bathroom, and if she can be targeted personally, then no woman in Pakistan is safe.

    “Be it in Pakistan or elsewhere, a woman cannot be weak,” she said.

    MARYAM IN JAIL:

    On July 6, 2018, Maryam was sentenced to seven years in jail by the NAB on corruption charges in the Avenfield reference case.

    The court had held that trust deeds presented by Maryam before the apex court were fake and had been tampered with. As a result, she was disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years.

    The next day, Maryam announced that she would return to Pakistan on July 13 to file an appeal against the decision. The same day, NAB announced to arrest her and Nawaz Sharif upon their arrival in Pakistan.

    She, along with her father, was taken into custody on July 13 upon their arrival at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and were airlifted to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

    On July 26, she challenged her sentence in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and filed a petition for bail. The next day, the court rejected her request for release on bail and adjourned the hearing till the end of the 2018 general election on July 25.

    While she was released following the suspension of the verdict against her father, husband and herself by the IHC, Maryam was once again arrested in August 2019 over Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption charges; this time upon her arrival at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore to see Nawaz, who was serving his sentence in a separate corruption case.

    In November 2019, Maryam was released on bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

  • SC releases Geo chief Mir Shakil on bail

    Jang group CEO Mir Shakilur Rahman, who was in jail for almost one year in a graft case, has been released on bail by the Supreme Court.

    As the top court took up the bail plea of the editor-in-chief of the Jang/Geo group on Monday, the bench accepted the petition, asking the media mogul to submit surety bonds worth Rs100 million.

    Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had dismissed his post-arrest bail petition in a case relating to a property transaction that took place 34 years ago. After which, he moved the SC.

    Mir Shakil was called to the NAB office in Lahore in March for submitting his answers to the questionnaire attached with a call-up notice; however, he was detained. A reference was also approved against him and other accused by the NAB chief earlier this year.

  • PM accused of seeking Justice Isa’s removal, action against Geo’s Mir Shakil

    PM accused of seeking Justice Isa’s removal, action against Geo’s Mir Shakil

    A day after two Supreme Court judges criticised the federal government over a “mala fide” reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Prime Minister Imran Khan has been accused of seeking lawyers’ help for the removal of Supreme Court judge Qazi Faez Isa.

    The claim was made by former Supreme Court Bar Association chairman Yasin Azad in a comment to Voicepk.net.

    Azad said the prime minister had met a delegation of the lawyers last month, wherein he allegedly asked them to help him get rid of Justice Isa. He alleged that Justice Isa’s free-spirited attitude “upsets” the government.

    During the meeting, the PM also vowed to teach Mir Shakilur Rehman, the owner of Geo, a lesson. Shakilur Rahman is behind bars in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for over six months now in a case pertaining to allotment of plots 34 years ago.

    The media mogul was called to the NAB office in Lahore in March for submitting his answers to the questionnaire attached with a call-up notice and was subsequently arrested. A reference has also been filed against him and other accused by the NAB chief earlier this year.

    NAB has come under increasing criticism for acting against the critics of the Imran Khan-led government during the past couple of years.  

    On July 20, 2020, Pakistan’s Supreme Court, in an 87-page decision, ruled that NAB had violated the rights to a fair trial and due process in the arrest of two opposition politicians, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique, whom the NAB detained for 15 months without reasonable grounds.

    NAB, however, says it is independent in its decision-making process.

  • Nawaz unhappy after PML-N leaders meet Shehbaz on ‘request’ of establishment

    Nawaz unhappy after PML-N leaders meet Shehbaz on ‘request’ of establishment

    Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is reportedly upset because of a secret meeting of three senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders with party president Shehbaz Sharif on the “request” of a senior representative of the establishment.

    According to a local media outlet, Nawaz was reportedly unhappy because he was told that top party leaders Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Tanvir Hussain met Shehbaz while he was in the custody National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the “request of a senior representative of the establishment”.

    However, PML-N Secretary-General Iqbal dismissed the reports, claiming that they had met their party president after duly informing the former premier.

    While denying that the establishment arranged their meeting, the PML-N leader said they had only requested the accountability body for the meeting.

  • Judge, sacked over leaked video, challenges removal

    Judge, sacked over leaked video, challenges removal

    Former accountability court judge Arshad Malik on Saturday challenged his removal from service in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

    An administration committee of the high court approved in July “removal from service” of the now-former judge on charges of misconduct after a year-long inquiry into the video scandal that broke last July, sending ripples through political and legal circles.

    READ: LHC sacks controversial judge who convicted Nawaz Sharif

    Malik challenged his removal and contended that the rules and regulations for the dismissal were not met, the management committee had prepared a report contrary to the facts and that misconduct was not committed.

    He requested that the decision be reconsidered.

    Moreover, a three-member tribunal has been constituted to take up the dismissal of the former judge.

    READ: ‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

    Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi has been appointed as the chairman of the tribunal whereas, Justice Masood Naqvi and Justice Sajid Sethi have been appointed as members.

    Following the approval of LHC Chief Justice Qasim Khan, a notification was issued to form a tribunal to hear the service appeals of the judges of the lower judiciary.

  • Govt rejects proposal to extend NAB chairman’s tenure

    Govt rejects proposal to extend NAB chairman’s tenure

    The Law Ministry has rejected a proposal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to extend the tenure of its chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, deputy chairperson and prosecutor general.

    According to reports, the anti-graft watchdog had suggested the Law Ministry that the NAB Ordinance be amended to extend the tenure of the three officials.

    Rejecting the proposal, the Law Ministry said that the tenure of the said posts was in line with the tenure of other autonomous bodies and that NAB could not provide clear reasons for an extension.

    Justice (r) Javed Iqbal is the incumbent chairman of NAB.

    NAB CHIEF HEARS PEOPLE OUT:

    Separately, Justice (r) Iqbal last Thursday listened to complaints of the people about housing societies after they turned up at NAB headquarters from across the country to directly register their complaints to the chairman.

    According to a statement, he patiently listened to complaints against various housing societies and directed the bureau officers concerned to address the same on priority basis.

    It merits mentioning here that Justice (r) Iqbal after assuming the coveted responsibilities in October 2017 decided to himself listen to the complaints on the last Thursday of every month.

    He had also directed director generals of all bureaus to ensure listening to the complaints of the aggrieved persons personally.

    Justice (r) Iqbal’s retirement is due next year.

  • Nawaz, Maryam go filterless, say ‘nation expected Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa to be arrested, not Shehbaz’

    Nawaz, Maryam go filterless, say ‘nation expected Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa to be arrested, not Shehbaz’

    Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said the nation was expecting the arrest of PM’s aide Asim Saleem Bajwa but the authorities instead apprehended his brother Shehbaz Sharif.

    “This is oppression and this is injustice,” Nawaz said, referring to Shehbaz’s arrest in a money laundering case. “This is not acceptable and we will not accept it.”

    The National Assembly opposition leader was arrested Monday morning after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail plea.

    Referring to Bajwa, the former premier told reporters in London that the nation wanted to know how a person made such big properties and assets in just 15 or 20 years.

    Opposition parties have been demanding an investigation against Bajwa after the publishing of a story that claimed that Bajwa’s family had set up 99 companies in four countries, including a pizza franchise with 133 restaurants.

    The website, FactFocus, claimed that his wife is a “shareholder” in at least 86 companies. Of them, 71 were set up in the US, seven in the UAE and four in Canada.

    Bajwa has rejected the story on his family’s assets as “incorrect” and “false”.

    Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz, who was addressing a press conference in Lahore, said that if there was accountability and justice in country, Bajwa would have been arrested.

    Maryam said the anti-government movement would not stop with the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif, rather the unjust act would add fuel to fire. “This movement will not suffer a setback due to Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest,” she insisted.

    She said even if the entire PML-N leadership, including her, was arrested, the movement would not stop. Terming the arrest extremely unfortunate, Maryam said she had no doubts that the PML-N president had been picked up because he chose not to betray his brother, Nawaz Sharif.

    “He [Shehbaz Sharif] not only stood with his brother but his loyalty to his brother’s cause and the party remained unwavering. “His wife has been declared an absconder; his son, my brother Hamza, has been sent to jail, though no case has been proven against him.

    “During the last week, Shehbaz gave two to three statements, saying that if they want to arrest him, they can , but the party will implement 100% of the directions given in Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the APC,” she said, referring to a statement made by the PML-N supremo at the opposition’s multiparty conference last week.

    The PML-N leader said the party had all its options open including resignations from all assemblies as well as launching a long march, and the party was deliberating on all options. “Those who are talking about birth of ‘Sheen’ from ‘Noon’ are now screaming because Sheen and Noon are completely united and can’t be separated,” she said, adding that Shehbaz was arrested though nothing was proved against him.

    Questioning the accountability and justice system, she said those who stood for justice were behind the bars or were submitting their financial details.

  • ‘Who is this Mr Bajwa you are talking about?’ NAB DG on alleged assets of Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa’s family

    ‘Who is this Mr Bajwa you are talking about?’ NAB DG on alleged assets of Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa’s family

    National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Director General (DG) Saleem Shahzad has expressed ignorance when asked about media reports claiming that businesses of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Information and Broadcasting Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa’s family were linked to his rise in the military, Dawn reported.

    “Who is this Mr Bajwa that you are talking about?” Shahzad volleyed back when he, during an informal talk with journalists on Wednesday, was asked about the possibility of a NAB inquiry in the wake of the news story about the alleged assets of Bajwa’s family.

    The reporter’s question followed the statement of Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, who had earlier this week said that Bajwa will soon be issuing a clarification on the news report. 

    Faraz, in a statement on Twitter, had said that he had spoken to Bajwa, who will in a few days issue a “detailed” clarification on reports regarding his assets.

    Bajwa, who is also the chairperson of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, has already rubbished the report while calling it a “malicious propaganda story”.

    The story that went viral last week has been called an attack on CPEC by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    BUZDAR LIQUOR LICENCE CASE:

    Earlier, the NAB DG also said that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar had not yet submitted a reply in different investigations against him despite two notices.

    “CM Buzdar has not yet filed a reply. He has been served two notices in this regard,” he said, over which Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan has said that the government would file the reply shortly.

    The CM is accused of receiving Rs50 million bribe to force the Excise and Taxation Department head to issue a liquor licence to the hotel in question in violation of the law. He is also facing charges of acquiring property, mostly in south Punjab, in the names of his relatives and others and awarding the Gateway-II Thokar Niaz Baig project to a “blue-eyed” contractor.

    ‘DON’T WANT TO BE STONED AGAIN’:

    To another question, Shahzad said that the watchdog had not yet decided on once again summoning former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s daughter and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz “to avoid being stoned again”.

    “We have not decided about it,” he said when asked about the next appearance of the PML-N leader, whose arrival at NAB Lahore had led to a clash between party workers and the police last month.

    On a lighter note, Shahzad added, “Do we have to be welcomed with stones again?”

    NAB had on August 8 been unable to record the statement of Maryam in an illegal land requisition case as her party workers ran berserk and clashed with riot police in an attempt to force their way into the office of the national graft buster.

    News channels showed chaotic scenes outside the NAB Complex at Thokar Niaz Baig as Maryam drove in accompanied by hundreds of PML-N activists in vehicles and on foot.

    The situation turned ugly when some activists in the PML-N caravan pelted stones at police, who responded by using batons, water cannons and tear gas on the rioters.

    Videos on social media and aired by TV channels showed vehicles of the PML-N activists loaded with sacks full of stones which, according to government ministers, indicate the rioting was not spontaneous — a charge the opposition party denies.

  • PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal accidentally arrives at accountability court, sent back home

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday accidentally arrived at an accountability court in Islamabad, from where he was sent back home by court staff.

    As per the details, the PML-N stalwart, against whom the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference over alleged corruption in the Narowal Sport City project, is to appear before the court tomorrow (Wednesday).

    He, however, mistakenly arrived at the court a day earlier and was informed that his hearing wasn’t until a day later, after which he returned back home.

    Reacting to The Current‘s report on Twitter, Iqbal said:

    Iqbal was earlier also arrested in connection to the probe into the sports complex built in his hometown.

    Construction of the complex, which includes a cricket stadium, gymnasium, squash and hockey ground, began in 2009 when Iqbal was in the opposition. But work picked up pace when the PML-N came to power in the 2013 election. That year, Iqbal was appointed the minister for planning and development.

    Below is the charge sheet against the politician from December last year:

    • Illegally increasing the cost of the Narowal Sports City complex from Rs35.410 million to Rs97.520 million, without approval from the Planning Commission’s Central Development Working Party (CDWP). Ahsan, adds NAB, was the minister of planning and development and the deputy chairman of the CDWP at the time. Rather than taking the project to the CDWP, he instead approved it on his own.

    • Iqbal initiated the project without a feasibility study, which was in violation of the development manual of the Planning Commission.

    • After the 18th Amendment, the project was devolved to the Punjab government in 2012 to be completed with its own resources. Yet, reads the charge sheet, funds were taken from the federal government to bankroll the complex. Iqbal, it adds, “further enhanced the scope of the project without any demand from the provincial government”.