Fake bank accounts scam: NAB summons Bilawal on May 17

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on May 17 (Friday) in an ongoing probe into the fake bank accounts scam related to the Park Lane Estate (Pvt) Ltd.

The Combined InvestigationTeam (CIT) of the NAB Rawalpindi, headed by Director General NAB Rawalpindi Irfan Mangi who is probing the fake bank accounts scam and multi-billion money laundering scam, has asked Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to appear on May 17 and to respond the queries of the investigation team.

The company is believed to be owned by former president and President PPP Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari and has been allegedly involved in fake transactions through fake bank ­­accounts.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari along with his father Asif Ali Zardari appeared before the CIT of NAB Rawalpindi on March 20 and was interrogated on alleged purchase and demarcation of a land in Islamabad by the Park Lane Estates (Pvt) Limited — of which Bilawal was a minor shareholder — as well as a loan allegedly obtained by the firm.

Senator Mustafa Khokhar, spokesman to Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said that Bilawal will appear before the NAB on May 17. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, while responding to the NAB notice summoning Bilawal, also disproved the reports that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had not responded to NAB's queries, saying that such reports were unfounded. He advised the media to uphold its reputation and report verified news instead of spreading fake news.

Accusing the NAB as an instrument of the government, Mustafa Nawaz Kokhar said the bureau was being used as a revenge tool against the PPP leadership and was relying on media trials.

While in a related move, the CIT of the NAB Rawalpindi has also summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari again on May 16 in the fake bank accounts scam related to the Harish and Company case.

Previously, Asif Ali Zardari was summoned on May 9 but he excused himself from appearing before the NAB, seeking another date on the grounds that he was scheduled to appear before the Accountability Court on the same day.

It may be mentioned the NAB has alleged that Harish and Company had taken a contract for water supply from the Special Initiative Department of Sindh government but no work was done on the project yet these funds were used to meet the expenses of Naudero House. The NAB sources said Harish and Company was the front company of the Park Lane Estate, which led to a loss of Rs60 million to the national exchequer.