Money-laundering probe: NAB summons Shahbaz’s wife, daughters next week

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday summoned Nusrat Shahbaz, wife of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif, and his two daughters Javeria Ali and Rabia Imran, in the ongoing probe related to assets beyond means and money-laundering against the Shahbaz family.

Shahbaz’s daughter Rabia Imran is wife of Ali Imran Yousaf, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the court in August 2018. Ali Imran is reportedly residing in London with Suleman Shahbaz, the other son of Shahbaz Sharif, who is also wanted by NAB in investigations regarding money-laundering and assets beyond means cases.

As per the call-up notices, available with The News, Nusrat Shahbaz has been asked to appear personally before NAB Lahore on April 17, whereas Rabia and Javeria have been asked to appear on April 18 and 19, respectively.

NAB has served identical call-up notices on the trio.

NAB has directed women of Shahbaz family to provide sources, details and purpose of all foreign remittances claimed and received by them. The bureau has asked them to provide sources and funds for acquisition and increase in assets during the years 2008 to 2018.

Details and sources of year-wise investment (equity and director’s loans) in all the companies and businesses have also been sought. Moreover, Shahbaz’s wife and daughters have been asked to provide details of gifts and salaries received since 2008, including the particulars of persons from/ to whom gifts were received/ given, and the companies from where the salaries were withdrawn.

It has been learnt that NAB teams, accompanied by a police vehicle, served call-up notices at the residences of the said women.

The act of serving call-up notices was taken as a raid at Hamza sister’s house by the PML-N leader and former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

However, NAB’s Lahore spokesperson categorically rejected the PML-N claim, saying that a NAB team, accompanied by a police vehicle, served the call-up notices at the residences of Shahbaz’s daughters. It was further said that call-up notices are handed over personally. There was no raid and some elements were trying to malign the repute of NAB, the spokesperson concluded.

Later, another press release was issued by the NAB Headquarters in Islamabad, rebutting allegations levelled by Hamza Shahbaz against DG NAB Lahore Shahzad Saleem.

NAB said that DG NAB Lahore had never spoken to Hamza about his degree. Hamza is trying to influence the investigations by levelling false and baseless allegations. Why Hamza remained silent at that time if the DG had spoken to him about his degree, the NAB raised a question about the claim of Hamza. Moreover, as far as degree of DG NAB Lahore is concerned, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had already verified his degree and report had also been submitted to the apex court of Pakistan, the release further said.

The bureau has found concrete evidence against the Sharif family in money-laundering investigation, due to which Hamza is trying to malign the investigators through unfounded allegations, the bureau added.

The bureau condemned and denied allegations of Hamza saying that NAB was an autonomous body, which performs its duties within the law. The purpose of summoning women of the Sharif family was to carry out investigations in the light of a State Bank of Pakistan report, according to which a large amount was allegedly laundered in the accounts of Sharif family, bureau concluded.

Previously, a three-member combined investigation team of NAB had grilled opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif for about three hours in assets beyond means and money-laundering probe. He failed to satisfy investigators after which he was summoned again for April 16.

NAB had already arrested three alleged money-laundering facilitators of the Shahbaz family namely Qasim Qayyum, Mushtaq Cheeni and Fazal Dad Abbasi.

Later on, Hamza Shahbaz threatened filing a defamation suit against, what he called, victimisation of the Sharif family members, especially women through NAB cases. “If NAB notices could be sent to my ailing mother and sister, then why Aleema Khan could not be summoned for investigation into her assets beyond means case,” he said while addressing a press conference at his Model Town residence on Saturday, along with other PML-N leaders Zakia Shahnawaz, Azma Bukhari, Ataullah Tarar etc.

Hamza said the last few weeks suggested that NAB was only working against the Sharif family. “After no allegation could be proved against me in Saaf Pani, Ramzan Sugar Mills and assets beyond means probe over the last few months, NAB has suddenly increased pace of investigations against us,” he said.

Hamza said NAB officials had clearly submitted before the high court that they did not require his arrest, but suddenly they summoned him and then sent notices to his mother, and his sister’s house was besieged by NAB officials. He asked if civilised societies deal with their honourable daughters like that. He alleged that NAB-Niazi alliance was working against the Sharif family merely for political victimisation. He said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said calling prime minister for NAB investigation was an insult to the entire nation, but is it not an insult to the nation to desecrate “chador and char diwari” of honourable women. He criticised Fawad Chaudhry’s suggestion to courts to allow bail to Aleem Khan, and termed it interference in the judicial matters and dictating the judiciary.

Hamza alleged that once he was called by DG NAB Lahore Shahzad Saleem for a meeting and requested that a resolution submitted in the assembly about verification of his degree should be withdrawn. Hamza said the DG NAB offered him withdrawal of notices against him if the resolution was withdrawn. He alleged that DG NAB asked him to tell his father to reach political settlement with the government to get rid of NAB cases. He said the DG NAB had asked him why he got bail from high court, as NAB had no intention to arrest him. Hamza said he was cautious because his father was arrested in some other case after questioning in another case.

He expressed sorrow that several innocent people like Ahad Cheema were suffering due to NAB cruelty. He said Allah bestowed him with a daughter after 20 years and she was suffering from serious disease, but still he returned to the country to face charges against him, but now he was being accused of money laundering of Rs85 billion. He claimed that all his assets were declared in the tax returns and demanded the judiciary call him and the DG NAB for probe into those allegations.

He said the government officials had stopped signing files for the fear of NAB inquiries, asking if it was the new Pakistan, claimed by the PTI. He said money-laundering allegations would also prove false like Saaf Pani and Aashiana cases.