Saaf Pani Company: Shahbaz doesn’t appear before NAB, sends representative

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday again summoned Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the Saaf Pani Company case on June 25.

Previously, the Bureau had summoned Shahbaz, who is also the PML-N president, for Monday but he didn’t. However, a representative, Ameer Afzal, appeared before the Bureau on behalf of Shahbaz and submitted questioner which was earlier sent to Shahbaz. After that the Bureau has summoned again Shahbaz by June 25.

The NAB had decided to summon Shahbaz after recording statements of MPA Waheed Gull and Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha.

Earlier, the Bureau had summoned Ali Imran Yousaf, son-in-law of the chief minister, with regard to a transaction of Rs 120 million deposited in his bank account from that of the Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC). However, he didn’t appear before the NAB.

The Bureau has accused him of receiving millions of rupees from PPDC’s former chief executive officer Ikram Naveed and possessing assets beyond his known sources of income. Ikram was declared guilty by Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of embezzling Rs 450 million in 2016. However, he was later made a director of Saaf Pani Company. The NAB so far has arrested five accused in the Saaf Pani Company scam.

They are: Dr Zahiruddin, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Nasir Qadir, Khalid Nadeem Bukhari and Masood Akhtar. Zahiruddin had been working as chief technical officer (CTO) in the Saaf Pani Company and Nasir Qadir as chief procurement officer (CFO). Moreover, Associated Consultant Engineer Saleem was attached with the Saaf It is pertinent to mention that all the clean water projects in the province are running under Saaf Pani Company and the arrests were made in a single project. There are many other projects which are yet to be probed by the NAB.