LAHORE: Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz appeared before the National Accountability Bureau, Lahore, here on Wednesday in connection with the income beyond means case.

A combined investigation team of NAB quizzed him for over an hour with regard to details of his properties in and outside the country. He could not satisfy the team and NAB might summon him again.

Upon his arrival at the NAB office, the PML-N workers gathered there, showered him with rose petals and chanted slogans in favour of the party leadership.

Investigators may summon him again

Talking to reporters outside the NAB office, Hamza said neither corruption had proved against Nawaz Sharif nor Shahbaz. “Nawaz Sharif appeared in court for 165 days in references but not a single rupee corruption has been proved against him. Similarly, Shahbaz Sharif has been behind bars for three months still the NAB is looking for any evidence against him. In fact this is a fake accountability (of the Sharif family and others) by a fake prime minister (Imran Khan),” he said.

He said Imran Khan believed in revenge and not in across-the-board accountability. “Niazi Saheb should find the corrupt in his cabinet. He should show sportsman spirit and present himself for accountability for misusing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter and his sister Aleema Khan to disclose details of her assets and sources,” he said.

Hamza further said Mr Niazi had expressed his wish to get 50 people arrested. “His accountability slogan reflects vengeance. We faced Gen Musharraf’s accountability for 10 years. Imran Khan can not make us afraid of accountability as it is nothing new for us,” he said and drew PM Khan’s attention towards the depleting foreign exchange reserves. “The country has foreign exchange reserves for only a few weeks. Let me tell you...this revenge politics will cost you a lot,” he said.

Hamza is also facing an inquiry into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. According to the NAB, Hamza and his younger brother Salman Shahbaz being directors of the sugar mills got constructed a bridge linking to their mills out of the public money in Chiniot. It said an amount of Rs200 million was approved by then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for the construction of the bridge.

Salman Shahbaz is in the UK. According to NAB, Salman left the country to skip its hearings. Hamza was stopped from leaving the country at the Lahore airport this month after putting his name on exit control list (ECL).

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018