NAB summons Shahbaz in Ashiana, PPDC inquiries

LAHORE: It seems that Monday will be another long day for already under crisis Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned him in two different inquiries pending before the Bureau.

The Bureau has summoned Shahbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing scam and Punjab Power Development Company. Shahbaz has been directed to appear in person at 11am in Ashiana Housing scam and at 2pm in PPDC case. In the PPDC scam, he is accused of illegal appointments.

Sources said the revelations made by under arrest Fawad Hassan Fawad and Ahad Khan Cheema could create problems for the PML-N president. Earlier, the bureau had summoned Shahbaz through a notice stating: “The inquiry against the management and officials of the PPDC has revealed that you (Shahbaz) are in possession of the information/ evidence related to unlawful appointment of Syed Farrukh Ali Shah to Nepra as a member, and the PPDC as chief executive officer.”

Shahbaz had twice attended the hearing about the alleged corruption after missing two consecutive hearings. NAB has charged Shahbaz Sharif with corruption and granting illegal privileges to his blue-eyed people in different companies.

His son-in-law, Ali Imran Yousaf, is also facing NAB corruption inquiries in both PPDC and Punjab Saaf Pani Company scam.

Moreover, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Saaf Pani Company Waseem Ajmal had alleged in a court hearing that former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s orders were followed to install water filtration plants in Dunyapur tehsil of Lodhran district to get votes for the PML-N candidate in Dec 2015 by-election against PTI’s Jahangir Tareen.

NAB is also probing alleged embezzlement of billions of rupees in 56 companies of Punjab including Punjab Health Facilities Management Company. The Punjab government had constituted 56 companies under guise of good governance and had registered them under Article-42 of Companies Ordinance 1984.

The apex court had taken a suo motu notice after the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) had expressed his concern about the financial matters of nearly 51 public sector companies constituted by the Punjab PML-N government, suggesting stoppage of the practice of (quickly) giving them funds through SDAs (Special Drawing Allowance).