Tag: NAB

  • ‘We want to engage’: Fawad Chaudhry offers conditional friendship to the Opposition

    ‘We want to engage’: Fawad Chaudhry offers conditional friendship to the Opposition

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership on Tuesday appeared to want to befriend the Opposition and want to reconcile amidst tensions.

    Informa­tion and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting, said, “We want to engage the opposition on important national issues like electoral and judicial reforms and the appointment of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman.”

    Accompanied with Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Chaudhry said that the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaisar and the Prime Minister (PM) himself had invited the Opposition to negotiate on these three issues.

    However, Fawad said that despite constant efforts to engage the Opposition on the government’s reform agenda, they were only interested in formulating conspiracies and trying to topple the government.

    It is pertinent to state here that the Opposition has shown interest in talks with the government, provided the premier himself participated in the talks.

    Fawad categorically said that PM Khan would not sit with any Opposition leader, including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

  • PM Khan ‘stopped’ NAB chairman from attending parliamentary meeting that the chairman had called himself

    PM Khan ‘stopped’ NAB chairman from attending parliamentary meeting that the chairman had called himself

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan stopped the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal from attending the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on Thursday which was convened by the chairman himself, reports The News.

    The chairman had asked for an in-camera meeting to present the figures on the recovery from NAB proceedings and its utilisation. Instead of appearing, the chairman asked NAB Director-General (DG) to represent him which resulted in the dismissal of the meeting as a protest.

    It has also been reported that PM Khan also barred the chairman from appearing in any parliamentary committee meeting.

    Opposition members blasted the NAB chairman over his non-attendance and even asked PAC chairman Rana Tanveer to move a privilege motion against him in the National Assembly (NA).

    Tanveer argued that the chairman was accountable to the parliament and he would have to be accountable for the money he had spent during his tenure.

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwala said, “NAB is the worst department of Pakistan. It is destroying Pakistan’s economy.”

    This is not the first time that the NAB chairman has avoided such meetings. Last year in December, he appeared before the PAC for the first time but requested to convene an in-camera meeting to review the performance of his organisation.

  • Are PTI’s MNAs joining PML-N? Shahid Khaqan responds

    While talking about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) members, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi claimed that once their ‘support’ ends they will come out.

    In Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Monday, Khaqan shed light on whether PTI’s Members of National Assembly (MNAs) are joining PML-N. According to him, time will tell.

    “They are afraid of calls and they will appear after they seize receiving the telephone calls as they know they have no political future with the ruling PTI”, he said while recalling the latest joint sitting, saying only 190 members showed up, but when the telephone calls started, all the members came.

    Answering about the passing of mini-budget in the House, he said that the party will try its best to be present in full numbers and according to him, the government tries to get bills passed through “browbeating”.

    Abbasi, who is the secretary-general of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) ruled out the possibility of any deal for a way into the power corridors.

    “We do not want a share in power nor do we seek interests. We can have negotiations while staying within the purview of the Constitution. We have nothing to give. What can we give to anyone?” he added.

    When asked about the proposed names for the post of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman by the Opposition. Khaqan didn’t give a clear answer and laughed it off.

  • ‘PTI tickets are a sign of disgrace’ says Maryam Nawaz, PTI’s Gill fires back

    Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has suffered a dreadful defeat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Local Government (LG) elections.

    Maryam, while talking to the media outside of Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated that “In the future, nobody wants to get the PTI party ticket. Their tickets are a sign of disgrace. If anybody gets it, I would suggest that they wear a helmet.”

    “When a government performs so badly not only the public but your own party’s Member of National Assembly (MNA) and Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) criticise you”, she added.

    “This is the first government in history that has one after the other faced defeat in the by-elections,” PML-N leader said.

    Moreover, she said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan should resign and accept the wrong-doings he did to the public.

    When asked about PML-N’s performance in KP LG elections she congratulated Maulana Fazlur Rehman and stated that PML-N considers Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) win as their win while claiming that her party has a big vote bank in the province, they just need to focus on it.

    While answering about the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination for the seat of PM she said that the decision is yet to be finalised by Nawaz Sharif.

    About her hearing, Maryam revealed that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) asked for an adjournment as they had no answers and evidence against her. The hearing is adjourned till January 18.

    In response to PML-N vice president’s statement, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said that Maryam is talking just like Indian PM Narendra Modi.

    Talking about the loss in KP local elections, he claimed that “Once official results will be out you will see that PTI is still the biggest party in the province,” while admitting that it was PTI vs PTI.

    Gill said,” Unlike you [PML-N] we learn from past mistakes. We don’t abuse the establishment and the institutions like you,” while saying that party gives tickets to people whom their workers like.

    Gill also took a jibe at Junaid Safdar’s wedding and claimed that it was a campaign by PML-N as they hijacked all the media because of it.

  • Zardari corruption case: NAB references busted, not in accordance with law

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference against former president Asif Ali Zardari ‘ultra vires and not according to the law’, reports The News.

    IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah condemned NAB authorities and said that all its references got busted for not being prepared as per law. He said that the Bureau was just wasting its time by making pointless references, adding that NAB was not above the law.

    “How the bureau could declare null and void the Income Tax Order by itself,” the CJ observed, adding that NAB did not have any jurisdiction to nullify the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Assessment Order.

    Earlier, IHC had noticed that NAB challenged the acquittal request of Zardari, without obtaining the original record of the case.

    The court noted that it took NAB seven years to realise that the appeals were filed without possessing the original record.

    CJ Minallah said NAB should now admit it had made a mistake by filing these references since it did not have proof against the former president.

    “And if indeed, there were no proofs, then the court will also take action against the former bureau chairman in whose tenure these cases had been filed,” said the IHC CJ.

  • Zardari case records went missing seven years ago during transportation

    Zardari case records went missing seven years ago during transportation

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday noticed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has challenged the acquittal of former President Asif Ali Zardari without obtaining the original record of the case, reports Dawn.

    A two-member bench comprising of Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq was hearing NAB’s appeal against the acquittal of Zardari in a case.

    NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzaib Khan Bharwana informed the bench that the original record of the reference had gone missing.

    The court noted that it took NAB seven years to realise that the appeals were filed without possessing the original record.

    Bharwana told the court the record had gone missing while it was being transported from the Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court.

    Justice Aamer Farooq questioned, “Please, tell us whether the anti-corruption watchdog is interested in pursuing its appeal or not?” reports The News.

    Farooq said that NAB’s cases do not have any substance, adding, “NAB’s job is to hold corrupt people accountable. Now it is time to hold it accountable.”

    CJ Minallah said NAB should now admit it had made a mistake by filing these references since it did not have proof against the former president.

    “And if indeed, there were no proofs, then the court will also take action against the former bureau chairman in whose tenure these cases had been filed,” said IHC CJ.

    Justice Minallah asked whether the NAB officials had any idea what cost the country’s economy had to pay for their rash steps. “Truth of the matter is that the bureau had failed to satisfy the accountability court with respect to allegations against Zardari,” he added.

  • NAB arrests Speaker Sindh Assembly after Supreme Court rejects bail

    Speaker of Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani has been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in front of the Supreme Court (SC) after his bail hearing, reports Geo Urdu.

    Durrani was arrested for allegedly accumulating assets worth Rs1.6 billion through illegal means.

    He approached the SC after Sindh High Court (SHC) rejected his bail in assets beyond means case.

    Earlier today, it was reported that the apex court ordered him to surrender before NAB.

    During Durrani’s hearing, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah observed that the SHC rejected Durrani’s bail plea on the basis of merit.

    “Supreme Court cannot conduct a hearing on this plea without the high court’s verdict,” he said.

    SC ordered Durrani to turn himself in, saying: “First comply with the SHC’s order and surrender before NAB and then the court will conduct a hearing on this case next week.”

    The apex court also rejected Durrani’s request to restrict NAB officials from arresting him from the courtroom.

    Justice Bandial, who was heading the hearing, directed Durrani to first surrender before NAB.

    “We had given you concession earlier as well. There is a high court order against you. We will not interfere in NAB’s matter,” the judge stated.

  • ‘Zaalim ki pakar bohat sakht hoti hai’, Maryam Nawaz criticises PM Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday for her appeal hearing regarding the annulment of her conviction in the Avenfield apartments reference case.

    After the hearing, while talking to the media, Maryam said, “The man who had announced the conviction [in the Al Azizia reference] gave a statement expressing the truth about Nawaz Sharif in his life.”

    “Today we have the third major testimony from within the judiciary after the testimonies of late accountability judge Arshad Malik and former Justice of the Islamabad High Court Shaukat Aziz,” said Maryam.

    “Zaalim ki pakar bohat sakht hoti hai‘ (The punishment of a cruel person is very severe)”, said Maryam, adding, “They knew that the oppressors’ days [government] were numbered but didn’t expect the truth would come to light so soon.”

    “I respect Ansar Abbasi, he is a credible journalist. Truth is not an insult,” she added while saying that Ansar has also spoken against PML-N.

    “Whatever [Prime Minister] Imran Khan is doing to us that is all because of [Ex- Chief Justice of Pakistan] Saqib Nisar. He is the one who gave him ‘Sadiq and Amin’ title,” Maryam said and demanded a free and fair election.

    Talking about her hearing, Maryam Nawaz said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked for two weeks’ extension.

    Maryam filed a new appeal on October 5 in the IHC seeking annulment of the verdict in the reference.

    A day earlier, upon a question related to Maryam Nawaz’s petition, former President Asif Ali Zardari said he would not talk about it and referred to Maryam as his “daughter“.

    Zardari said, “Maryam Nawaz is like a daughter to me. What comment should I make on my daughter?”

    According to a copy of the petition available with Dawn, Maryam’s latest application was filed “in consequence of certain extremely relevant, simple and clear-cut facts which have come to light after the pronouncement of judgment and sentence” in the case.

    In the petition, Maryam stated that the entire proceedings that resulted in her conviction were a “classic example of outright violations of law and political engineering hitherto unheard of in the history of Pakistan”.

    In a hearing on October 13, her lawyer had argued that legal procedure was not followed in the reference. After the hearing, the court had directed NAB to present its arguments at the next hearing. The case was adjourned until November 17 (today).

  • Authority to remove NAB chairman taken back from SJC, given to president

    Authority to remove NAB chairman taken back from SJC, given to president

    The power to remove the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman from office has been withdrawn from the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and given to the president, as per the National Accountability (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, which has been approved by President Arif Alvi, reports Geo News.

    The NAB chairman’s tenure, as per the new ordinance, will be of four years. The criteria for the removal of a NAB chairman will be the same as the one for the removal of a Supreme Court judge, according to the new Ordinance.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif criticised the new Ordinance and said that the government had spared no efforts to push the Opposition to the wall. He claimed that the government had introduced a new NAB ordinance to give itself National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

  • PPP leader Khursheed Shah granted bail, name to be placed on ECL

    PPP leader Khursheed Shah granted bail, name to be placed on ECL

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah was granted bail from the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan today (Thursday) in the assets beyond means case, reports Geo News.

    The court has directed Shah to submit bail bonds worth Rs10 million as the surety against his bail and ordered that his name be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).

    Justice Umar Atta Bandial, who chaired the hearing of Shah’s bail plea, also directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to continue its investigations but not keep Shah permanently in jail.

    In July, the Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed Shah’s request for bail. Later, he challenged the local court’s decision in the apex court.

    NAB had arrested Khursheed Shah on September 18, 2019, accusing him of allotting himself an amnesty plot illegally from a cooperative society in Sukkur.

    NAB also accused Shah of acquiring assets worth some Rs700 million in the names of his frontmen through illegally acquired money.