Questioning expenditure of Rs50m on Rs0.5m project isn't an insult: NAB chairman

LAHORE: NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Thursday confirmed that the Bureau had given go ahead to repatriate ousted prime minister’s sons – Hassan and Hussain Nawaz – as well as Ishaq Dar through Interpol in connection with the cases filed against them.

Hassan and Hussain have been declared absconders in the Avenfield reference, while Dar was indicted in the assets beyond income case pending before the accountability court.

The chairman confirmed this development while talking to the media men outside NAB Lahore office, saying the DG concerned would write to the authorities to bring back absconding brothers through Interpol.

The chairman on Thursday visited the Lahore office on third consecutive day in a bid to monitor the ongoing inquiries and investigations.

Javed said the Bureau had nothing to do with the political affairs of the country and no one could stop the anti-graft body from legal action against the corrupt. “It is a totally wrong impression that the Bureau is taking action only in Punjab,” he said, adding, “Where ever the Bureau finds corruption, its mechanism starts working against it.”

He said no one was hindering election campaigns of politicians but they should appear before the Bureau when summoned in inquiries pending against them. The wall of corruption could not block the way of awareness and wisdom,” said Javed and added that they did not have political ambitions.

“We are not living in an era where people are treated and termed as slaves,” he noted. “In today’s world, rulers could be asked by the people that where their tax money has been spent,” the NAB chairman said.

He said, “It is a right of the people to ask question about their tax money. They can ask why Rs 50 million were spend on a project of Rs 0.5 million. The NAB is asking the same on the behalf of the people of this country. It is not an insult.”

He said the summonses issued by the NAB were not invitation letters and the people being summoned should take these seriously.

He said more than 80 per cent cases before the NAB were related to housing societies. “If the concerned departments have had worked properly, such situation could have avoided. “

The chairman said some people received a hefty bribe of Rs 200 million to get NOC’s for housing societies.

Talking about the Eden Housing Society scam, the chairman said the Bureau had received 1100 complaints against the Eden administration and frozen assets worth 20 billion.

He said the Bureau had asked the concerned authorities and even the interim government to put the names of Eden administration on ECL. “But they will be brought back through red warrants and Interpol,” Javed vowed.

He promised that the grievances of the affected people would be addressed and the Bureau was going to used all the resources to help them.

It is pertinent to mention that it was first reported by The News on May 2 that the owners of Eden housing projects accused of multi-billion fraud had fled the country.

Dr Amjad, Anjum Amjad, Murtaza Amjad and Mustafa Amjad are facing criminal proceedings over the charges of depriving thousands of affectees of their hard earned money worth billions of rupees.

On October 9, an accountability court had declared Hassan and Hussain absconders due to their failure to appear in court despite the non-bailable warrants issued against them.

Maryam Nawaz, talking to media on October 9, had said, “My brothers are currently living aboard and that the Pakistani laws do not apply to them.”