Land acquisition: NAB summons Maryam for 26th

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz in an illegal land acquisition case in Raiwind.

NAB directed Maryam to appear before a combined investigation team (CIT) at Thokar Niaz Beg NAB Complex on March 26 at 11am. Earlier, NAB had served a call-up notice on her for the same date in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money-laundering investigation. As per the call-up notice, copy of which is available with The News, NAB had referred to a letter issued in August last year and reminded Maryam that the reply of that had not been submitted by her. It further read that the competent authority had taken the cognizance of an offence(s) committed by the subject persons under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999. NAB summon further said that the inquiry conducted so far had revealed that “you purchased 1,480-kanal (approx) land in the Mouza Sultankay, Mouza Mall, Mouza Asal Lakhowal and Mouza Bado Ki San, district Lahore” illegally. NAB asked Maryam for providing details of the land acquired/ purchased in each of the said villages with year-wise break-up, total income derived from the said agricultural land, the sources of funds (money trail) for the purchase of these lands, along with year-wise break-up and details of taxes and duties paid for the purchase of lands.

It has also asked for provision of details of the subsequent sale of land (if any) and details of the use of the land whether it is being used for agricultural cultivation or for any other commercial activity. As per NAB, the Sharif family in 2013 had acquired 3,568 kanals of land allegedly in connivance with a former DCO and an ex-DG of the Lahore Development Authority during the tenure of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister.