Reference against Asma Alamgir, spouse: Three witnesses record statements

PESHAWAR: Three official witnesses recorded their statements before the Accountability Court on Tuesday in a reference filed against the former federal minister for communication Arbab Alamgir Khan and former advisor to prime minister, Asma Alamgir.

Three witnesses from National Assembly and Cabinet Division recorded statements about the withdrawal of salaries as MNAs, foreign visits and TA/DA by the former federal minister and advisor to the prime minister who are associated with the Pakistan People’s Party. They included Sher Dil Khan, Director General, Finance, National Assembly, Section Officer (Administration) Rehan Rauf and Kaleem Shehzad, Section Officer, Cabinet Division. However, the accountability court judge, Ishtiaq Ahmad rejected the copy of the documents after the objection by the lawyer. He directed the official witnesses to produce the original record in the court on the next hearing fixed for March 21. Both Arbab Alamgir and Asma Alamgir appeared before the court in the case.

The accountability court did not allow the media persons to the court for attending the proceedings without citing any reason. “We have been asked by the accountability court judge not to allow media to the court,” a policeman told media persons when they tried to enter the court for covering the case.

Barrister Masroor Shah, counsel for Asma Alamgir, told The News that he cross-examined the three official witnesses. He said the NAB would produce four more witnesses in the court for recording statements about the properties of Arbab Alamgir Khan and Asma Alamgir.The reference said during the accused had accumulated huge assets worth more than Rs332 million that were disproportionate to their legal sources of income.