instantly rejected by NAB chairman Nawid Ahsan. He said that NAB had not nominated HC Wajid Shamsul Hasan to visit Geneva to retrieve this record.
“Why would we designate Mr Wajid for this job? We have nothing to do with the Pakistani missions abroad and you better approach the Foreign Office in this regard,” Ahsan remarked.
When asked why Wajid visited Geneva for this purpose, Ahsan simply said he didn’t know about this but NAB had not appointed or asked him for this job.
In another communication, the NAB chairman gave the following version: “The record was booked from Geneva for High Commission office in London. It should have been there.”
When asked to give reason why this record was being brought to Pakistan through Pakistan High Commission in London, the chairman said that London was the focal place for operations of the NAB in that region. He said that NAB prosecutor General Dr Danishwar Malik was with the record and he was trying to get in touch with him.
When told that according to sources in the Pakistan High Commission in London, the record had been moved to the residence of Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the NAB chairman insisted that it should be in the Pakistan High Commission.
He promised that it would reach Islamabad on the first available flight. Chairman Nawid repeatedly asserted that he was sure that record was safe in the custody of Danishwar Malik and it will reach Pakistan safely.
When Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit was approached, he confirmed that there was a permanent Pakistani embassy in Switzerland. Basit also confirmed that there was permanent Pakistani mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
Basit also showed complete ignorance as to why Wajid visited Geneva to get these highly confidential documents in his capacity as Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London. When Basit was asked whether if the NAB had designated Wajid for this mission, he said that he was completely out of picture regarding these developments.
Wajid also told Ahmad Noorani that he had nothing to do with this issue and accompanied NAB’s chief prosecutor Dr Danishwar Malik because he was designated by the NAB. He, however, alleged that he was wrongly dubbed as an NRO beneficiary despite the fact that his name was ‘deleted’ from the NRO list. He said that a certain section of the media was targeting President Zardari without any reason.
NAB Charman Nawid Ahsan said that Dr Danishwar Malik went to Switzerland with his approval and that NAB was responsible for the safety of the record. Ahsan, however, said that he did not know why Wajid went there for this purpose.
The NAB officials said everything had been initiated and was going on according to the government’s plan and the NAB was asked and it sent its prosecutor
In London, The News learnt that the location of the boxes remained shrouded in mystery officially on Tuesday as the government machinery went in overdrive to deny any malicious intent.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan completely took his hands off the operation and told Murtaza Shah of The News he was not aware where the 12 cartons had gone.
“I have stated it through a statement that they are National Accountability Bureau’s property and only the NAB can tell where these cartons were.”
Hasan was referring to the statement which was released on Tuesday night after Geo released the exclusive footage of Pakistan High Commissioner in London Wajid Shamsul Hasan and former Deputy Attorney General Danishwar Malik taking the cartons out out the chambers of Pakistani government’s appointed lawyer in Swiss cases.
Pakistan’s envoy was also asked whether the 12 cartons would be flown directly to Pakistan from Geneva. He confirmed that “as far I know these cartons will reach London in 2-3 days and from here (London) will be flown to Pakistan through a PIA flight.”
In sharp contrast to Hasan’s claims, The News can exclusively reveal that the 12 cartons have already reached London and Hasan’s statement only adds suspicions to the whole operation.
Well-placed sources told The News that the 12 cartons were transported on Flight LX 338 from Zurich (ZRH) to London (LHR) on Tuesday. The source confirmed that the Pakistan embassy staff received the high-value cartons after the flight arrived at Heathrow at 7:15 pm.
The NAB statement “clarified” the documents “have been retrieved as they are pubic property and of no use for anybody. Their value was archival after the cases had been closed. On the other hand, their continued retention with the lawyers entailed further payment to them in foreign exchange.” The statement denied the high commissioner was involved in a secret operation.
Hasan has maintained he left Geneva on Monday afternoon for London and was in complete dark as to where the cartons were headed to and who was handling them. “They are NAB’s property and the NAB has confirmed it. I have got nothing to do with these papers,” he said.
When asked whether the NAB had already arranged for these documents to be taken over to Pakistan or whether they will be kept in London, Hasan again said only NAB could answer it.