Rs500m recovered from Ishaq Dar’s accounts: NAB chief

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal on Thursday claimed the bureau has recovered Rs500 million from former finance minister and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar.

He shared this information with the officers of the NAB Lahore bureau during his visit to review updates in mega corruption scams and investigations. He claimed that during last few months, the NAB has recovered a hefty amount of Rs71 billion from the corrupt elements in different cases in which the NAB Lahore contributed a pivotal chunk. He informed that Rs500 million have been recovered from the bank accounts of the absconding accused Ishaq Dar, which have been handed over to the provincial government.

He said the NAB Lahore Investigation Team has succeeded in recovering a house in Gulberg of Ishaq Dar measuring 4 Kanals and soon that house will be handed over to the government of Punjab which will sell it out. Moreover, he said the NAB Lahore has recovered properties worth Rs 1 billion from Ikram Naveed in the Punjab Power Development Company case, which have already been handed over to the Punjab government and the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (ERRA).

While reiterating his resolve in the wake of ongoing impartial accountability, he said the NAB has no affiliation with any political party, group or individual but eradication of corruption from the country remains its priority. The chairman NAB said the cases falling into White Collar Crimes category acquire substantial documentary evidence. He said the NAB initiates investigations by seeing “cases not faces” as per law. He advised the NAB Lahore Investigation teams for developing solid cases where substantial evidence is in hand, so these may be pursued in the courts properly in light of evidence and proof.

He instructed NAB officers to work as a team whereas the concept of combined investigation team is introduced by keeping in view the team work concept that has started yielding positive outcomes. He stated investigation officers should keep their constitutional and legal duties continued by setting aside any kind of pressure. He directed Lahore Bureau officials to complete all mega corruption cases within designated time and by observing self-respect of all accused individuals as any kind of negligence will not be tolerated in this regard.

During the meeting, the chairman was briefed by Director General NAB Lahore Shahzad Saleem on all prominent mega corruption cases. The cases that remained under discussion included investigation against former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Salman Shahbaz and others regarding accumulating alleged assets beyond known sources of income, inquiry against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Yousaf Abbas, Abdul Aziz and others in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case for allegedly being involved in money laundering, investigation against ex-chief financial officer Ikram Naveed and son-in-law of Shahbaz Sharif Imran Ali Yousaf in Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC) case over allegation of piling up of assets beyond known sources of income, investigation against former finance minister Ishaq Dar for making unaccounted assets beyond his known sources of income, inquiry against Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif in expansion of the Raiwind Road case and inquiry against Nawaz Sharif for illegal allotment of LDA plots to blue-eyed persons, etc. Most of the cases which were reviewed by the chairman NAB were related to the Sharif family.