PTI reference ignoring Dar, focusing on Nawaz surprises NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is surprised that the PTI, which has recently been raising a hue and cry against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and had announced to file a corruption reference against him, did not file any complaint against Dar with the Bureau.

NAB sources said that the PTI’s “reference” filed with the Bureau on Monday last though does mention the finance minister, the complaint is against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.

Neither does the “subject” of the PTI’s reference include Ishaq Dar’s name nor did the reference anywhere seek action against the finance minister. The “subject” only talks against Nawaz Sharif and his family members. It reads: “Complaint under Section 18(b)(ii) of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif presently functioning as the Prime Minister of Pakistan and his dependents/family members for commission of offence of corruption and corrupt practices in term of Section 9 thereof.”

The NAB sources said that seven-page “reference” of PTI does not include any complaint against the finance minister. “What the PTI has been propagating in public about Ishaq Dar is not reflected in the reference,” a senior NAB official said.

In para 4 of the “reference”, there is a mention of Ishaq Dar in reference to Dar’s “confessional statements before a judicial magistrate on April 25, 2000, admitting to being a part to money laundering to the tune of US$14,886 million”. The PTI, while referring to Dar’s “confessional statement”, insisted, “all these allegations of corruption have direct nexus to the family of Mian Nawaz Sharif.”

In the concluding para 6 of the “reference”, the PTI again referred to Ishaq Dar’s alleged role in money laundering case not as an accused against whom action is required but as an evidence against Nawaz Sharif.

The “reference” towards its conclusion referred to all its “evidence” against Prime Minister and his family. It says, “In light of the PanamaLeaks, the admitted transgressions by Mr Ishaq Dar, supported by evidence, the money laundering, the futile attempts to hide it, the purchase of properties in London between 1993 to 1996, and later the loans obtained against these properties, the judgement given in London and the execution, the BBC report confirming the purchase of properties in the Park Lane clearly showing Nawaz Sharif family from ordinary businessmen to super rich politicians, Raymond Baker’s book charging Nawaz Sharif with millions of dollars of corruption whose allegations were never contested and never charged for defamation by the Sharifs, all lead to inescapable conclusion that grave offences under the NAB Ordinance have been committed and limitation does not run against crimes.”

Only recently, NAB closed it inquiry against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar afte the NAB has been found abusing its authority to blackmail the high profile politician despite repeated recommendations from its own officials to close the inquiry as nothing was ever found against the accused.

The NAB record had revealed more than seven times the allegations against Ishaq Dar were probed by different inquiry officers and every time the recommendations remained the same - “Close the case”. However, since 2000 one chairman after the other has been responding with the direction to “Pend” the case.

The closed inquiry also covered the allegation of money laundering and Dar’s “confessional statement”. According to the NAB documents, one of the five allegations against Ishaq Dar pertains to his role in obtaining huge loans for the Sharifs.

On this issue, NAB concluded, “The available record shows that Ittefaq Group obtained loans from Hajveri Modarba (Pvt) Ltd. The charge on the accused (Ishaq Dar) was of abettment. No case for illegal/fraudulent loans has ever been made out against Ittefaq Group before any court of law. Therefore, there could be no case for abettment.”

The NAB document added, “The accused was also charged on the allegations of money laundering on the behalf of Sharif Family in Hudaibya Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. However, the case was quashed by the Lahore High Court vide dated 11-03-2014.”