ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday closed an inquiry against Chaudhry Mohammad Munir, a relative of the Sharif family, in an assets beyond means case.

In addition to this case, Mr Munir is facing an inquiry in a case of irregularities allegedly found in the construction of New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA).

The decision was taken at a meeting of the NAB’s executive board (EBM), presided over by its chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal.

In March, NAB had written to the Regional Tax Office (RTO) of Multan and sought tax record of Chaudhry Munir and Mian Imtiaz Ahmad in the assets beyond means case.

The bureau had sought tax details of M/s Hajvery Oil Industries Ltd, M/s Al-Meeraj Cotton Ginning and M/s Oil Mills, M/s Bismillah Traders Cotton Ginning and Oil Mills and Himalaya Feeds.

Hina Rabbani Khar, who got same relief, rejects report she was summoned by NAB

An audit of the accounts of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that an irregular payment of over Rs4 billion was made to the companies that built the NIIA’s runway.

According to the audit report of the CAA for the year 2013-14 presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the joint venture of M/s Lagan and M/s Technical Associates Pakistan were paid Rs4.08bn out of a Rs12bn project that was never part of the contract the companies had signed with the CAA in 2008.

M/s Technical Associates Pakistan is owned by Chaudhry Munir, whose son Raheel Munir is married to Mehrunnisa Safdar, a granddaughter of Pakistan Muslim League-N’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif.

In January 2010, M/s Technical Associates Pakistan got the agreement reportedly in a ‘dubious’ manner after which the controversy of the irregular claims started.

The EBM also closed an inquiry initiated against former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Hina Rabbani Khar nine months ago in an assets beyond means case.

According to a press release, “the EBM authorised closing down investigations against Ayaz Khan Niyazi, a former chairman of the National Insurance Corporation Limited; Mian Imtiaz, a former member of National Assembly; Chaudhry Muhammad Munir; Ghulam Rabbani Khar, former members of National Assembly, and Hina Rabbani Khar due to absence of evidence.”

Media reports said that Ms Khar and her father, former MNA Malik Noor Rabbani Khar, had appeared before the NAB, Multan, in April for allegedly accumulating assets illegally during their tenure as lawmakers.

The Kot Addu assistant commissioner had sent all the revenue record of the Khar family to NAB.

Ms Khar refuted reports that NAB had summoned her along with her father in connection with a probe into the assets beyond means case.

Ms Khar was among politicians against whom the NAB chairman had approved inquiries in February.

Meanwhile, the NAB approved inquiries against Ahmed Nawaz, Hameed Akbar Khan, Amanatullah Khan, Akhtar Hussain, Maqsood Ahmed, Ahsan Sarwar Butt, Sikandar Mustafa Khan, Habibullah Khan and some officials of Pakistan Petroleum Limited, the ministry of petroleum and natural resources and NTDC.

The EBM also authorised investigations against officials of the Capital Development Authority.

The meeting authorised sending the inquiry against Sultan Gull and others to the Federal Inves­tigation Agency and referring another inquiry against officers of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, and others to the Establishment Division.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2019