Sindh CM appears before NAB, records statement

ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday appeared before the Combined Investigation Team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi and recorded his statement in ongoing investigations on Roshan Sindh Project relating to fake bank account scam.

In a two hour interrogation at the NAB Rawalpindi, Murad Ali Shah recorded his statement before the Combined Investigation Team of NAB and replied to the questions and rejected the allegations regarding Roshan Sindh Project. Though he was not handed over questioners but the NAB team has decided to send him questioner later on.

Talking to the newsmen outside the NAB Rawalpindi after his appearance before the NAB’s Combined Investigation Team Murad Ali Shah said the NAB has summoned him in an inquiry of scheme of solar lights of year 2014 when he was a Finance Minister of Sindh. “They asked me question about the Roshan Sindh Project and I answered their questions,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah, who was accompanied with Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari and Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar in a press talk outside the NAB Rawalpindi offices, said the NAB’s team has asked him that why the scheme was approved later when it wasn't included in the budget and he answered them that the scheme which is not under discussion can be approved later, according to the Article 124 of the Constitution and Roshan Sindh Project was also approved by the provincial assembly later.

Murad Ali Shah said that he had not been provided with a questionnaire by NAB but whenever he receives it, he would respond to it. He said he asked the NAB officials that they are still working in the times of coronavirus.

While replying to questions with regard to COVID-19, Chief Minister Sindh blamed mixed signals from the Centers as a cause for the violation of SOPs. “The entire world and our country are going through a trial at the moment but SOPs are not being followed at a lot of places and I will not blame the public for it. This is because of the mixed signals being sent to people. One person says it is a dangerous disease while another says it is just flu, you will be fine after suffering a cold," he said.

He said, “We have to take a decision to close our international borders. Stranded Pakistanis should be brought back,” he said.

He said he did not have any differences with anyone with regard to COVID-19 but only concerned about the people of Pakistan. “There is no single press conference of mine against the federal government,” he said. He said the markets were open on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.