PML-N moves SC against NAB chief

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal for ordering a probe against former premier Nawaz Sharif over alleged money-laundering of $4.9 billion to India.An office-bearer of the PML-N’s Japan chapter petitioned the apex court, pleading with it to issue directives for the NAB chief to tender apology over the launch of the probe against the party’s lifetime supreme leader.

The petitioner contended that the NAB issued a press release on May 8 which accused Nawaz Sharif of sending a huge amount to India. He said the statement which, he said, was aimed to defame the former premier, calls into question the credibility of the anti-graft watchdog and requested the court to order a probe into the matter. The NAB launched a probe against Nawaz Sharif after the World Bank’s migration and remittance book released in September 2016 carried information that foreign exchange reserves of India increased by $4.9 billion after receiving the huge amount sent through money laundering, inflicting losses to Pakistan’s national kitty. The Washington-based multilateral organisation, World Bank, promptly responded to the NAB’s move and stated that “the report does not include any mention of money laundering nor does it name any individuals.” The SBP said the estimates showed in the WB report were based on ‘assumptions’ which did not reflect reality. Soon after the SBP’s clarification, the NAB issued a brief statement and questioned: “If the World Bank report is not correct, why they have not changed the figure of 4.9b dollars from Pakistan in its report.”