NAB arrests Ahsan Iqbal in sports city complex case

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal on the charges of corruption in Narowal Sports City Complex project.

The PML-N leader was taken into custody after he appeared before the anti-corruption watchdog’s investigators in Rawalpindi.According to a NAB spokesman, Iqbal would be produced before accountability court on Tuesday (today). The anti-graft body had written a letter to the relevant authorities to conduct the PML-N leader’s medical tests.

Earlier in the day, the NAB summoned the former minister in connection with a probe into multi-billion Narowal Sports City Project case. That was for the second time he was summoned in two months. Iqbal is accused of using funds of the federal government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city in Narowal. He had already filed a reply to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau previously.

Sources said the NAB Rawalpindi chapter had already received a complete record of the Narowal Sports City project to investigate alleged financial irregularities which multiplied the estimated construction cost of Rs300 million to Rs3 billion.

Talking to media prior to his arrest, the PML-N leader said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government was resorting to character assassination of its political rivals through the anti-corruption watchdog. He said the government was trying to silence every voice against incompetence. “Rs2.5 billion was spent on Narowal Sports City project then how come corruption of Rs6 billion was committed as alleged?” he questioned.

He said the PML-N would not bow down to the threats by Imran Khan. Sources said the arrest warrant for the PML-leader was signed by NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal.