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Tag: NAB

  • NAB summons real estate tycoon Malik Riaz to reveal £190 million settlement

    NAB summons real estate tycoon Malik Riaz to reveal £190 million settlement

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked real estate magnate Malik Riaz and close aides of PTI Chairman Imran Khan to appear before court on December 1 in a case relating to a £190 million (Rs50 billion) settlement.

    According to Profit, the owner of Bahria Town Malik Riaz was asked to appear before a joint investigation team of the anti-corruption watchdog on December 1 at 11 am at the bureau’s Rawalpindi headquarters, according to a NAB letter.

    “Call-up notice to the persons acquainted with facts of the case under section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance-1999, inquiry against holders of public office and others qua misuse of authority, financial gains and criminal breach of trust in recovery of crime proceeds received from the UK and illegal sealing of its record,” the notice stated.

    It claimed that Ali Riaz Malik and others had entered into an out-of-court settlement agreement with Britain’s National Crime Agency for the repatriation of funds to the government of Pakistan following an investigation into allegations of abuse of power, financial gain, and criminal breach of trust.

    Imran and his wife were accused by Rana Sana Ullah of getting substantial amounts of land from Bahria Town property owners.

    Malik Riaz has been demanded to provide full records regarding the acquisition of 458 kanals in Tehsil Sohawa, the agreement by which Bahria Town donated land to Al Qadir Trust along with revenue documents, and information regarding any other property that he or any of his relatives transferred in favour of Al Qadir Trust or any of its trustees.

    Unverified reports claim that Imran Khan’s wife serves as one of the trustees. The real estate tycoon was informed that disobeying this notification could result in legal repercussions under NAO 1999.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed a secret arrangement between the NCA and Malik Riaz’s family members (referred to as “the counter parties”) in June of this year.

    In order to defend the real estate company in a case involving money laundering, he had charged Imran Khan and his wife of collecting Rs5 billion and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town.

    A £190 million settlement offer that includes a UK property, 1 Hyde Park Place, London, W2 2LH, was accepted by the NCA in December 2019. All of the money, which had a value of almost £50 million, ended up in Malik Riaz’s blocked accounts.

  • Court ends ‘assets beyond means case’ against Dar after five years

    Court ends ‘assets beyond means case’ against Dar after five years

    An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday ended proceedings in an assets beyond means case against Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar.

    During the hearing, Judge Mohammad Bashir remarked that “After the [National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022], this case does not fall under the jurisdiction of this court.”

    “We can neither announce a decision in favour of NAB nor can we issue a decision in favour of the suspect. The trial against Ishaq Dar ends here,” Judge Bashir said.

    In August, the National Assembly passed the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, which sought to exclude private transactions from the scope of NAB.

    Following the amendment, accountability courts withdrew 50 major corruption cases, including the case against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shahbaz.

    The case

    In 2017, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) registered a case against Dar, accusing him of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

    Following the case, he went to London and remained there for five years until September when he returned to Pakistan and took up charge of the finance ministry.

  • Court issues notice to NAB on Dar’s plea to cancel warrants

    Court issues notice to NAB on Dar’s plea to cancel warrants

    An accountability court has served a notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Wednesday) after newly-appointed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar surrendered himself before the court and submitted a petition pleading for the cancellation of his arrest warrants.

    The court then issued a notice to the NAB and ordered Dar to appear before the court on October 7.

    “We will hear the application for cancellation of warrants along with assets’ reference,” the judge remarked.

    In 2017, Dar was a declared a proclaimed offender in a NAB reference due to his continued absence from the proceedings.

    NAB accused Dar of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

    The case was filed by NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

    The same year, Dar flew to United Kingdom due to seek medical treatment. He stayed there for almost five years until his return to Pakistan on Monday.

  • ‘Khan has created hatred among people because of his chor, daku narrative’: Ahsan Iqbal

    ‘Khan has created hatred among people because of his chor, daku narrative’: Ahsan Iqbal

    Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has built up a narrative of chor and daku (thieves and bandits) which has created hatred among the people.

    Talking to Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” on Wednesday, the minister said that Khan has multiple times raised slogans and accusations of bandits and robbers against him. He said that his reputation was destroyed however after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled in his favour, he is now free of all charges.

    On the show, Iqbal also recalled an incident where PTI supporters harassed him and hurled accusations of ‘chor chor’ (thief) at him. The minister said: “They did it because of Khan’s narrative against me.”

    High Court gives a clean shit to Iqbal

    IHC acquitted Ahsan Iqbal in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), accusing Iqbal of misusing authority by funding a provincial government project Narowal Sports City.

    During the hearing on Wednesday, NAB’s Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Khan Bharwana was absent. The court asked the NAB investigator to outline where the alleged corruption had taken place, to which the official said that Bharwana was to present his arguments but he was not present in the court.

    When NAB asked for an adjournment, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah denied the request.

    It came to light that NAB started the proceedings based on a report published in a newspaper. Justice Minallah then inquired about the newspaper on the basis of which the case was registered. NAB officials identified the paper as Metrowatch.

    The judge further inquired about the details of the newspaper, and what its report stated, and instructed the official to read it out loud.

    “Did the NAB chairman check the accuracy of the facts? A case of corruption related to a public welfare project was started on this basis?” the chief justice questioned incredulously.

    Justice Minallah said that if the case was initiated on the basis of a Metrowatch report then why was the person responsible for restarting the project in 2009 not arrested? He noted that Iqbal was not even a public officeholder at the time.

    Subsequently, the court dismissed the case against Iqbal.

    In 2019, Iqbal was arrested by NAB and remained in custody for two months.

    In April, Iqbal filed a petition in the high court, alleging that NAB had filed the reference against him as part of the then-ruling PTI’s campaign to victimise political opponents.

  • Bushra Bibi’s closest friend’s case dropped by Anti Corruption Establishment Punjab

    Bushra Bibi’s closest friend’s case dropped by Anti Corruption Establishment Punjab

    The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab, has dropped a corruption case against Farah Khan, a close friend of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, reports Geo News.

    Farah was accused of getting a 10-acre plot allotted in the Faisalabad Special Economic Zone for only Rs83 million when its actual worth was Rs600 million. A prerequisite was in place for any company interested in buying the plot to have a minimum valuation of Rs. 2 billion.

    The Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department issued the order to dismiss the case after former Director-General of ACE l, Rai Manzoor Nasir, declared Farah innocent in the investigation.

    In May, Imran Khan said that the cases against Farah were “totally wrong.”

    “She [Farah] has been in the real estate business for 20 years,” said Imran Khan.

    “It was implied that Farah’s riches grew exponentially during three years […] real estate business has generated a lot of money during the last three years,” he explained.

    “They say that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is independent. First of all, I ask NAB, can a case even be built against Farah Khan or not?” Imran questioned.

    He said that the term “wealth beyond known sources of income” applies to public office holders only.

    In June it was reported that Farah Khan and her husband Ahsan Jameel Gujjar were treated as residents of Imran Khan’s house in Bani Gala, which was declared the official PM House during his tenure.

    The records for 44 months showed that Farah alias Gogi and Gujjar’s visits to Bani Gala were not recorded in the registers maintained by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Special Branch. The Special Branch of Islamabad Police controls the entry and exit points of PM House as part of the security provided to the PM.

  • Justice Javed Iqbal challenges formation of inquiry commission in harassment case

    Former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Tuesday challenged the formation of an inquiry commission to probe the Tayyaba Gul harassment case in the Lahore High Court (LHC), reports Dawn.

    Gul had lodged a harassment case with an accountability court in Lahore. She also put the issue before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

    Advocate Safdar Shaheen representing Iqbal had filed a petition with the court and made the federal government party to it.

    The federal government could not form an inquiry committee because the matter was sub judice, pleaded the petitioner before the court.

    Shaheen said it violated Article 10-A of the Constitution and no one could start an investigation into a case that was sub judice.

    Last month, Gul said that Justice (retd) Iqbal threatened to destroy her life. She made this revelation before the PAC.

    “Javed Iqbal would tell me that he will destroy my life within a minute,” said Gul.

  • Early appointment of new army chief is not a bad idea, says President Alvi

    Early appointment of new army chief is not a bad idea, says President Alvi

    President Dr Arif Alvi was asked about an early appointment of the next army chief, which is due this November, in a meeting with journalists today.

    “It’s not such a bad idea,” Alvi said in response.

    According to reports, President Alvi said that this matter can be resolved through dialogue.

    President Alvi said that it has been suggested that he “plays his part” after meeting the army, naval, or air chiefs, which he “cannot do”. Elaborating further, Alvi said that as the president of Pakistan, he does not have the constitutional authority to ask parties to have a dialogue.

    He said that a dialogue is possible only when all the stakeholders agree. “The President House can play its role only in this case.”

    Neutrals need to remain neutral 

    “The neutrals need to remain neutral always,” the president said.


    “The elephant in the room has not yet appeared but it has been there for 50 years,” he said, adding that the matter is a ground reality and that it can be solved through dialogue.

    On relations with Shehbaz Sharif

    Alvi said that he has had many meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and this impression is wrong that his relationship with the prime minister is not so good. Since this government took power, the government has sent the president 74 summaries.


    Since the coalition government has come into the office, 69 out of 74 summaries have been signed on the day of receiving them, said Alvi.

    “I held back the summaries regarding NAB amendment Ordinance, electronic voting machines, and the Punjab governor but this was not due to any pressure,” he said.

    On talking with Imran Khan

    When asked, President Alvi said that he didn’t have any communication with PTI Chairman Imran Khan on the matter of EVMs and NAB amendment ordinance and the last time they spoke was when there was an issue regarding the Punjab governor.

  • ‘I was stripped naked’: Tayyaba Gul reveals during hearing on harassment complaint against ex-Chairman NAB

    ‘I was stripped naked’: Tayyaba Gul reveals during hearing on harassment complaint against ex-Chairman NAB

    Tayyaba Gul said on Thursday that Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, the Head of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman, threatened to destroy her life. She made this revelation in front of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

    “Javed Iqbal would tell me that he will destroy my life within a minute,” said Gul.

    “I met Iqbal during a meeting regarding missing persons,” she said, adding that when she asked him not to call her repeatedly, “he got angry”.

    “My number was written on the request filed for the missing person, and he [Iqbal] kept calling me time and again,” she said. “I recorded Iqbal because he was a very powerful official and I wanted to expose him,” she added.

    “My husband and I were arrested under the direction of the former chairman NAB. I was arrested by male officers and cannot even share the barbarity that I endured during the car ride.”

    Tayyaba Gul also revealed that on the orders of DG NAB Lahore Saleem Shehzad, she was stripped naked during a search operation and her nude videos were shown to her husband.

    .

    The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) summoned Justice (retd), Javed Iqbal, today (July 7) after allegations of sexual harassment resurfaced against him. The former NAB chief was summoned on the complaint of Tayyaba Gul. She had written a letter to the PAC chairman levelling harassment allegations against Iqbal.

    However, Justice (retd) Iqbal did not attend the PAC meeting.

    PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan also raised the issue of the allegations made by human rights activist Amina Masood Janjua in Hamid Mir’s show ‘Capital Talk’ on Geo News.

    Ms Janjua revealed that when a woman went to the commission to inquire about her missing husband’s whereabouts, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said to her: “You are so beautiful. Why do you need a husband?”

    https://twitter.com/arshdchaudhary/status/1544359653550727168

    The same allegations were previously made by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen in 2018. He narrated the same incident while talking on Neo News‘ programme Khabar Kay Peechay.

  • Khan challenges NAB amendments in Supreme Court

    Khan challenges NAB amendments in Supreme Court

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan approached the Supreme Court (SC) to challenge the recent amendments to the National Account­ability (NAB) Ordinance, contending that they will “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder”.

    In the petition filed today (June 25), Khan named the Federation of Pakistan through its secretary Law and Justice Division, and the NAB through its chairman as respondents in the case.

    Khan had said his party would challenge the recent amendments to the NAB law in the SC.

    Addressing a press conference at his Banigala residence, Imran Khan expressed hope that the top court would take notice of the development, adding that if such moves were allowed then it would be detrimental to the country.

    Earlier in June, President Dr Arif Alvi refused to sign the bills seeking amendments in NAB and election laws.

    The bill was returned back to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif as the president said he “was not informed” about the “legislative proposal” under Article 46 before they were tabled in parliament.

  • ‘All pending cases would have been solved by December 2022’: former special assistant to Khan

    Former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Brigadier (Retd) Musaddiq Abbasi said that all the pending cases of politicians would have been solved by December 2022. Abbasi was SAPM to Imran Khan.

    Speaking on Express News‘ political programme‘ Kal Tak‘ with anchorperson Javed Chaudhry, the former special assistant revealed that he was working to make amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) 1898 so that all the cases could be streamlined. According to him, when he took over the office as SAPM, he discussed it with Khan and he agreed.

    Moreover, talking about pending cases of Nawaz Sharif and other politicians, he clarified that all the cases would have been decided either in their favour or against them.

    On the show, Abbasi who is also the former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director-general, talked about the recent amendments to NAB law. He said that the bureau is almost closed. It is pertinent to mention that the incumbent government through the new amendments has limited the powers of NAB.

    Abbasi also termed the allegations by Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir’s revelations as baseless. Dastagir alleged that in November when a new army chief would have been appointed by Imran Khan, the new chief would have violated the Constitution and would have helped Imran Khan make false cases against his opponents in order to disqualify them.

    Earlier, Dastgir said, “This is based on information. Imran Khan and his followers would have stayed in power for 15 years. The entire Opposition would have been disqualified. He [Imran Khan] was of the point of view that he will remove everyone and will not spare anyone.”

    Replying to Dastagir, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar said that he believes that Dastagir is lying but is still waiting for Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) statement because these are very serious allegations and the military spokesperson should respond to them.