ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has ordered NAB officials to complete the inquiry into four cases against the Sharif family within 90 days.
According to a private TV channel, the bureau’s officials said that the NAB chief had given NAB Lahore Director General Saleem Shehzad 90 days to complete the inquiries pending against the Sharif family.
The pending inquiries include a probe into a Lahore Development Authority (LDA) plots, the Rivand Road, the Jati Umrah residence and the Sharif trust.
On February 10, 2000, an inquiry was launched into the matter of alleged unlawful allotments of LDA plots by Nawaz Sharif.
An inquiry — launched by the Anti-Corruption Department in February 2000 and later handed over to the NAB — against the former PM and his family members over alleged discrepancies in the acquisition of land for the Jati Umra residence, will also be completed in the next three months.
According to NAB, the funds for the road constructed up to the Jati Umrah residence came from the district council and the plans for the road were never approved.
Separately, Capt (r) Safdar was summoned by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on December 14.
A two-member IHC bench was hearing the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea seeking the dismissal of bail granted to Safdar, a member of the National Assembly, by the accountability court hearing corruption cases against the Sharif family.
During the hearing, NAB’s deputy prosecutor general informed the bench that the accountability court issued on October 2 non-bailable warrants for Safdar, after which he was arrested and produced in court on October 9.
The NAB official contended that the accountability court did not have the authority to release Safdar on bail, and pleaded that the court’s order against their request to send him to Adiala Jail be rescinded.
Justice Aamer Farooq, who heads the bench, remarked that Safdar would have to be summoned to court since NAB had sought the cancellation of his bail. The IHC then summoned the former premier’s son-in-law on December 14 and adjourned the hearing.
Published in Daily Times, December 1st 2017.
