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Assets beyond known sources of income: Charges to be framed against Arbab Alamgir, spouse on 10th

By Akhtar Amin
January 04, 2019

PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Thursday fixed January 10 for framing of charges against former federal minister for communication Arbab Alamgir Khan and his wife, former Member National Assembly Asma Alamgir in a reference for accumulation of assets worth more than Rs332 million that were disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The well-known couple appeared in the accountability court No.1.

The judge Ishtiaq Ahmad handed over copies of a reference to the former lawmakers from the Pakistan People’s Party and fixed January 10 for framing of charges in the reference against them.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on December 19 had filed a reference in the accountability court against Arbab Alamgir Khan and his spouse Asma Alamgir and others for accumulation of assets beyond their known sources of income.

As per copy of the reference submitted in the accountability court and carrying the signature of the NAB chairman, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, it was revealed during investigation that the accused have accumulated huge assets worth more than Rs332 million that were disproportionate to their legal sources of income.

The reference pertained to the family’s assets in Pakistan. “From the evidence collected during the investigation, it has been established that the accused allegedly through corruption and corrupt practices have acquired huge movable and immovable properties/assets to the tune of Rs33, 21, 91 528 in their names as well as in the names of their dependents/benamidars within the country, which are grossly disproportionate to their known sources of income,” noted the NAB reference filed at the accountability court.

It said the inquiry was authorised on November 4, 2015 by the competent authority and converted into investigation on January 12, 2018.

The NAB said investigation showed that the accused have accumulated movable and immovable assets including House No 332, Sector G-11/3, Islamabad, 10 kanal land at Mauza Shah Alladitta, Islamabad, Bungalow No.2 F-7/2 Islamabad, prize bonds, Land Rover NX 111 and unjustified bank transactions.

About the foreign assets of the couple, the NAB noted that in order to requisition the relevant documents a Mutual Legal Assistance request as per law has been sent to the foreign authorities and response to it was awaited.

It said the investigation into foreign assets would continue and a supplementary reference would be submitted upon the receipt of record.

Talking to reporters after appearing in the accountability court, Arbab Alamgir has said the NAB had only claimed Rs150 million against him which isn’t equal to the status of his peon.

“I could even justify Rs20 billion,” he maintained. He claimed he would be the only politician to take the case to its logical conclusion with the NAB and everyone would witness that it would be nothing but political victimisation.

Arbab Alamgir asked: “The NAB was mentioning in its media statements that we made assets of billions of rupees, but now a reference of Rs332 million only has been filed against us.

Where has the claim of billions of rupees gone? Why it was not mentioned in the reference?”

Asma Alamgir said, “The case is nothing but political victimization. We have time and again submitted record of assets, which has not been shown in the reference.”

The former MNA said that the NAB had adopted dual policy. “The opposition leaders are being politically victimised for making assets beyond known source of income while no action is being taken against the federal and provincial ministers of the ruling party in the cases of embezzlement in funds,” she argued

She said that their names were placed on ECL against the order of the Islamabad High Court.

“Despite being a former female lawmaker, U am being victimised but no action was taken against Aleema Khan, the sister of the prime minister, for making assets beyond known source of income,” she argued.