NAB again summons Shahbaz on July 5

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) expanded its scope of investigation in the corruption scam in Saaf Pani Company of Punjab with once again summoning former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to appear before the investigating team on July 5.

Besides summoning Shahbaz Sharif, NAB has also summoned Zaeem Qadri, who left the PML-N a few days back after a fiery press conference, today (Wednesday). The NAB had summoned the ex-chief minister on June 25, but he did not appear before the NAB investigating team and now he has been summoned again on July 5.

According to sources, NAB had sent a 17-point notice to Shahbaz Sharif in which allegations against him were mentioned. Sources said it was alleged that without studying project and proposals, Shahbaz Sharif ordered to form the Saaf Pani Company, while other options for provision of clean drinking water were ignored.

The NAB claims that some 116 water filtration plants were installed on exorbitant rates in Bahawalpur and false estimates of the plants in documents were mentioned. The NAB is also investigating the financial affairs of 56 companies of Punjab government, Saaf Pani is one of them.

It is to be mentioned here that earlier, PML-N leader and candidate against Chaudhry Nisar from NA-59 Engineer Qamarul Islam and Saaf Pani’s ex-chief executive officer Waseem Ajmal were on Tuesday sent on physical remand until July 9.

NAB has also decided to recommend to the Interior Ministry to place the name of ex-secretary to prime minister Fawad Hasan Fawad and two ex-secretaries of Punjab government Ali Jan and Najam Shah on the Exit Control List (ECL). The Bureau has also summoned Fawad Husain Fawad in alleged corruption in Ashiana-e-Iqbal in personal capacity on July 3 to reply to the queries of the investigation team.

According to NAB sources, the allegations that Fawad Hassan Fawad, being secretary to the project director of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), at that time played a role in the cancellation of bid by a company to favour another company.

It is to be mentioned here that an ex-secretary of the Punjab government Ahad Cheema was already being investigated and many other top leaders of the PML-N were allegedly involved in the scam.

Meanwhile, PTI’s Aleem Khan has been summoned by the NAB on July 10 in Lahore where he is facing a probe regarding the Park View Housing Society, which he owns. According to NAB, it has asked the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to issue notices to five officers employed on different posts to provide reports on Aleem’s alleged illegal properties including Park View Villas and River Edge Housing Scheme. Aleem Khan also faces a probe in NAB for having offshore companies.

PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi, son of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, has been summoned on July 13 in a case of assets beyond means and being the alleged owner of offshore companies.