NAB calls Shahbaz Sharif on May 4

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau while considering dissatisfactory a written reply submitted by Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif in money laundering investigation has asked him to appear in person before the NAB on May 4.

The NAB had summoned Shahbaz on Wednesday, buthe submitted a written reply instead of personal appearance.

Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau had officially warned Shahbaz that a legal action will be taken against him if he doesn’t appear before the bureau’s investigators on April 22 in an alleged money laundering investigation against him and his family members. The NAB had assured Shahbaz that all social distancing measures will be adopted and investigators will only ask questions related to alleged money laundering from a safe distance.

Before that, Shahbaz had skipped appearance fearing that coronavirus could contact him as he was a 69 years old cancer survivor, and medical professionals had advised him to restrict his movement due to life-threatening risks associated with Covid-19.

Meanwhile, PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the repeated call-up notices to Shahbaz despite submission of a detailed response is an undeniable proof of a fixed match of the NAB-Niazi alliance. In a statement, she said the NAB premeditated response within 2 minutes of Shahbaz’s submission of a 24-page response shows that the NAB did not even read the answers submitted by the National Assembly opposition leader.

The former Information minister said this premeditated call-up notice exposes the NAB-Niazi unholy alliance. She said this dissatisfaction without even going through the response submitted by Shahbaz is a travesty of justice.

She rejected NAB’s accusation that Shahbaz was not cooperating, and said that staying in custody for 133 days and submitting every relevant document and details do not amount to non-cooperation.

Those who are non-cooperative do not stay in NAB prison without any charges for 61 days, she said. She said it is clear now that the NAB had prepared its response to Shahbaz’s answer even before it was submitted. This, she said, shows that NAB’s focus is on making Shahbaz appear before it, rather than his interrogation and answer to the bureau’s questions.