Shahbaz asks NAB to reopen probe into Zardari’s $60m in Swiss banks

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has appealed to the National Accountability Bureau to reopen investigation against former president Asif Ali Zardari regarding his $60 million stashed in Swiss banks.

Talking to media after inaugurating modern medicines supply warehouse built at the cost of Rs 200 million at Gurumangat Road, Gulberg, he also appealed to the Supreme Court to bring back the looted money. He said corruption cases worth billions of rupees were also pending with the NAB in addition to Rs 6 billion in Swiss banks. “Many labs and hospitals would have been built through this money if it had not been looted.”

To a question, the CM said the NAB was not under his control and “if the NAB is under him then he would not have been under the NAB”. He said the NAB was proactively working across the country which was a good thing.

The chief minister said the PTI had destroyed KP and tried to sell new dreams to the nation by holding a public meeting in Lahore. He said the nation would not be deceived by tall claims of Imran Khan. He said that it was his request to the rivals to realise facts. He said the people would decide about the future leadership through their vote in 2018 general elections. He said there should be leadership in the country which could save the country from internal and external challenges, unemployment and poverty.

About energy projects, the CM said that Rs 150 billion had been saved in four gas-based energy projects in Punjab. On the other side, no tendering of Nandipur project was done and tremendous corruption was done in it. He asked the Supreme Court and the NAB to take notice of it. He said Pervez Musharraf started Kachhi Canal Project without tendering and planning. The cost of this project had increased from Rs 20 billion to Rs 90 billion. These mega corruption cases have weakened the country, he remarked.

To a question, he said Ch Nisar was his friend as well as a senior party leader. He said majority of doctors had the passion to serve the ailing humanity, but some elements were creating hurdles in this regard.

The CM said the Punjab government had introduced modern system of storing, supplying and distributing medicines and the system has been made operational completely.