NAB reference is ready against Shahbaz Sharif: PM’s aide

ISLAMABAD: A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference was ready to be filed against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif, said Shahzad Akbar, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability, on Saturday.

“Those who are working hand in glove with Sharif in corruption stand exposed [...] Eid is near and the reference against Sharif is ready,” he said at a press conference alongside Information Minister Shibli Faraz.

Akbar claimed there was a trail of “kickbacks and commission received by the PML-N leader”, adding Sharif would have to respond to corruption charges. He demanded a trial of the former Punjab chief minister on a day-to-day basis. The PM’s aide claimed Hamza Shahbaz used to submit “cheques without mentioning names on them”. “According to EOBI data, Masroor Anwar is an employee of the Sharif group who submitted a cheque worth Rs900 million,” Akbar said, adding: “Anwar is in custody and he has given his statement.”

While Information Minister Faraz, speaking about coronavirus situation, said the government was taking important steps to curb the spread of the virus in the country. “The Prime Minister’s strategy has been clear from the day first,” he said. “As soon as the pandemic hit the country, the National Coordination Committee (NCC) and National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) were established to deal with it. People from all four provinces were made a part of the NCOC since PM Imran wanted to take everyone’s input,” he said.

He added the country was facing several challenges and the government was working according to a roadmap to deal with the pandemic.

“PM announced $8 billion relief package for the masses and allocated Rs480 billion for the economy. Rs570 billion was kept to provide relief to the people and through the Ehsaas Programme Rs104 billion was distributed to 85,000 families,” Faraz added.

Stressing the need for unity to tackle the challenge, the minister said he regretted the opposition parties did not give any positive suggestions in the National Assembly session for the fight against the pandemic. “What we saw was that Shahbaz Sharif was absent[from the session], and that their speeches were the same as pressers,” Faraz said, adding: “Shahbaz not attending the session, is proof that the elite believe they don’t have to come in and attend the session. Lives of the other lawmakers are not important.”

Separately, PML-N leader Malik Ahmad Khan said ministers were directing investigation agencies which was a violation of the law. Addressing a press conference alongside PML-N leaders Uzma Bukhari and Attaullah Tarar, he said: “Nawaz Sharif’s crime was that he took the country out of the dark,” adding the PML-N would reply to the questions asked by Akbar.

Addressing the press conference, Bukhari said before pointing fingers at others, Akbar must reflect on his own actions. “They are setting up the stage for the drama that will take place after Eid,” she said, adding: “Questions have already been raised on NAB’s performance.”

Bukhari warned old records of PM Imran could also be dug out. Furthermore, Tarar said Shahbaz owned a cattle farm that was registered and he paid taxes worth millions of rupees. “These accusations are the government’s tactics to shift attention from its performance.”

“Akbar accuses [Sharif family] of corruption worth billions of rupees”, but he did not take that up with courts, he said. “Shahbaz has saved the nation billions of rupees,” said Tarar, adding: “They [government] should worry about their sugar and wheat thieves.”