LHC tells NAB: Complete assets probe against Chaudhrys in four weeks

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to complete in four weeks the investigation against Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in cases pertaining to accumulation of assets beyond means.

During the hearing, NAB Lahore Director General Saleem Shahzad informed the bench, comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry, the bureau had closed an inquiry against Pervaiz Elahi while the probe into assets of petitioners would be completed in six months.

“How can you start an investigation against a person who pays all his taxes and has declared his assets?” wondered the judge.

The bench also questioned Shahzad about his assets, to which he replied he was in possession of assets worth Rs40 million and drew Rs0.5 million a month in salary. The PML-Q leaders, also allies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government in Punjab and at Centre, said in their petition NAB was being used for political engineering and old cases against them were being reopened and closed.

The Chaudhry brothers pleaded that the NAB chairman in 2000 had authorised an investigation against them on the allegations of misuse of authority, amassing assets beyond means, and wilful default under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

They said all the three investigations were recommended for closure by the investigating officers and regional board of NAB during 2017 and 2018, when the government of their political rival party was in place.

However, they said, the NAB chairman approved in 2019 reinvestigation and bifurcation of the inquiries against them after an investigation spreading over a period of 19 years since authorisation of investigation in the year 2000.

They asked the court to set aside the authorisation of the inquiries and the order for their bifurcation passed by the NAB chairman for being unlawful.