NAB summons Gilani, Aslam Raisani

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned ex-prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Balochistan ex-chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, both are from Pakistan People’s Party, after Eidul Azha in an alleged corruption case, well-placed sources in NAB told The News.
The sources said Gilani has been summoned in the case of appointment of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) ex-chairman Tauqir Sadiq. The sources said NAB has filed two references in Ogra scam. First pertains to Rs82 billion corruption which include Tauqir Sadiq and Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, stock exchange tycoon, who has been yelling over his inclusion in the scam.
The second Ogra reference is about illegal appointment of Tauqir Sadiq as Ogra chairman in which both the ex-PMs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Gilani have been involved. Importantly, the summary, including Sadiq’s name, was first rejected by ex-PM Gilani and latter was approved when it was sent again.
The sources said Gilani has been asked to appear before NAB after the Eid to get his statement recorded. “We have not sent regular summons under Section 33-B of the NAB Ordinance but the summons have been sent through the district coordination officer’s office and will be received at Gilani’s Multan residence so that he may not take plea that he has not received the summons,” said the sources. They added that if Gilani will not appear before NAB, then his arrest warrants will be issued and he will be arrested.
Secondly, NAB has also issued similar summons to Nawab Aslam Raisani on his Balochistan’s address to appear before the Bureau and get his statement recorded in a case of assets beyond known means. The sources said that the worth of Raisani’s assets is still being calculated but they are in hundreds of millions of rupees which include bungalows, vehicles and many more. The sources said that NAB has gathered almost all the details but Raisani and will be given ample opportunity to Raisani to explain the source of his income and tally it with the assets he owns. The sources maintained that both Gilani and Raisani will be given an opportunity to present their defence before NAB could proceed.
The summons of both these PPP leaders has been issued by the Rawalpindi NAB DG, who left to perform Haj on Friday last, and both have been asked to appear before NAB after Eid so that DG could return.