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LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned on Monday former chief minister and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif for his alleged involvement in three corruption cases.
NAB has been conducting inquiries against Mr Sharif in different corruption cases, including Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme, Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC) and the potable water project.
Mr Sharif was directed to appear before the NAB investigating team at 11am in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing scheme corruption case and at 2pm again in the PPDC case.
The PML-N president has already appeared three times before the NAB investigating team and recorded his statements.
In the past, Mr Sharif had requested the NAB team to suspend its investigation till the general election 2018.
PML-N chief faces investigation in cases related to Ashiana housing, Punjab Power Development Company and Saaf Pani project
The NAB team has now resumed the investigation after the general election and started summoning people in the cases.
In the PPDC case, Mr Sharif was facing charges of illegal appointments.
The NAB investigating team had rejected his reply to the questionnaire in the case and termed it incomplete and unsatisfactory.
According to a notification available with Dawn, NAB said: “You (Shahbaz Sharif) are hereby called upon to appear on August 20 at 2pm at Investigation Wing-II, NAB Thokar Niaz Baig before combined investigation team to record your statement regarding nomination of Syed Farrukh Ali Shah as member NEPRA (Punjab) and his appointment as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PPDCL.”
Mr Sharif was also summoned in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme case over disclosures of former principal secretary Fawad Hassan during investigation.
Fawad was arrested by NAB for alleged misuse of authority and awarding contracts illegally in the housing scheme while serving as the secretary of implementation to Mr Sharif in 2013.
The clean water case pertains to alleged corruption in Punjab Saaf Pani Company.
Mr Sharif had earlier appeared before NAB’s joint investigation team in the Saaf Pani case and answered questions put to him by investigators.
The company was established by the Punjab government to conceive, plan, design, execute and manage projects for the provision of safe drinking water, in terms of both access and quality, to communities living in rural areas of the province.
His son-in-law Ali Imran Yousuf is also facing corruption inquiries in both the PPDC and PSPC scams. The bureau has written to the interior ministry to bring him back from abroad through Interpol.
Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2018
