NAB prosecutor files reference against couple for allegedly blackmailing bureau chairman, six others
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National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor, Waris Ali Janjua, on Saturday filed a reference against a man and his wife, naming them as the prime suspects behind the recent "propaganda" against the bureau's chairman, Javed Iqbal, who along with six other complainants had allegedly been blackmailed and defrauded by the couple.
According to the accountability watchdog, the chairman as well as six other individuals had been targeted by a group of blackmailers, allegedly to which the couple belongs.
A few days ago, some footage and a few audio clips — first aired by News One — surfaced, in which a man could be heard talking to a woman, and making inappropriate remarks at various points.
While the TV channel linked the male voice with the NAB chairman, the corruption watchdog vehemently denied the allegation, labelling it "the propaganda of a blackmailers' group".
An accountability court sent out a notice to both suspects and asked them to appear in court on June 17. The investigation officer in the case has also been summoned.
According to the reference filed by NAB, 36 witnesses recorded their statements with the bureau against the two suspects.
The two "lured and defrauded six complainants by collecting millions of rupees through corrupt, dishonest and illegal practices and hence gained illegal monitory (sic) practices", read the reference filed by the bureau.
According to the reference, the complainants were cheated "on the pretext of processing their visas, installation of towers of mobile companies, to get them relief in cases and to purchase cheaper bulldozers for them".
Janjua said that the two suspects would "extort money from people and threaten to initiate a NAB inquiry against them if they did not comply".
"With others, embroiled in cases with the bureau, they would ask for huge sums of money and promise to get their cases resolved in exchange," he added.
The man is currently incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail whereas his wife is out on bail.
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Comments (53) Closed
May 25, 2019 11:11pm
Why? Shouldn’t NAB chief resign first as he brought disgrace to his institution by getting into this trap?
It is very unfortunate that we couldn’t produce leadership who has ethics and common sense.
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May 25, 2019 11:16pm
NAB can not file case against these people when Chairman NAB is a party ! It should be investigated by a third party . NAB is only for investigating cases related to corruption , this is a FIA case !
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May 25, 2019 11:18pm
Very daring blackmailers. The matter would be of great interest for those who are watching the proceedings of NAB with apprehensions.
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May 25, 2019 11:19pm
I have serious doubts about the credibility of NAB Chairman ! He is a seasoned opportunist , If those wee his own words over the tape then this person should investigated and barred from any future jobs anywhere for his sexist and vulgar comments!
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May 25, 2019 11:39pm
Good move, but it must be fast and fury, jail and send them to Muchh Jail, this will also serve a lesson to others.
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May 25, 2019 11:40pm
Good decision to prosecute fake audio and video couple, and if found guilty then punish them and their masterminds. Set an example, so that in the future people in authority are not blackmailed by crooks and corrupt mafia. This is important.
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May 25, 2019 11:40pm
Why ??? Is the chairman NAB untouchable
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May 25, 2019 11:45pm
Lost moral ground.
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May 25, 2019 11:46pm
The parliament must make laws to safeguard from these types of blackmailing.
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May 25, 2019 11:52pm
Instead of being ashamed at this incident and apologizing.or the chairman should resign
Pakistan will never change until individual take responsibility of their acts instead of transferring blames
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May 25, 2019 11:53pm
This can only happen in Pakistan where a man who is blackmailed has filed the reference in his own court and is a prosecutor and a defendant himself. Let us nip the truth in the bud. There is no shame anywhere. 24 hour circus.
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May 26, 2019 12:06am
Why was chairman in his office alone with a female.
Why was this female in official office during working hours for personal reasons.
Is this not missuse of Government office and official time.
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May 26, 2019 12:26am
If it's an audio then a voice artist can mimic sounding like any one. The TV commercial that we see in the TV, actual celebrity like like Sachin Tendulkar or Amitabh Bachchan advertising a product the dialogue are actually recorded in the voice sounding like them by a voice artist.
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May 26, 2019 12:57am
@M. Saeed, what proceedings?
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May 26, 2019 12:58am
@Alam USA, you can place all of the !!! you want, but you're still not believed.
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May 26, 2019 01:28am
This is funny, why from the Prosecutor of NAB, This is his own case, He should heir his own attorney. What a fool making everyone fool
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May 26, 2019 01:35am
Wow!!! Look at the audacity of this man! The tape can't be more clear to show that this man, being in power, was having illegitimate relationship with one of the accused, and that accused being the age of his grand-daughter! In addition, he was using official property to carry on his illicit relationship! In any civilized country, this compromised chairman would have been immediately suspended from his office, proper investigation would have been launched, and he would have to answer his deeds like any of his accused! But, then when we have a PM with coloured morals, he and his cohorts would just shove this under the rug!
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May 26, 2019 01:50am
Dears , Nab chairman should be hanged,
Who selected him for this position ? For sure parliament! 22 core mandate! how dear he used his power and position for such benefits? Nab was good and clean institution but now pakistan steel mill , Pia and Nab are seems in same row in terms of thr credibility.
My sympathies with the founder's members of Nab and hard workers staff , honest youngmen and all the unknown heroes of Nab staff . Please set example for all other to not repeat such
Plz save pakistan and give clear message . To other head of institutions that do not cross the limit and do not bully other with thr position .
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May 26, 2019 01:54am
It is beyond imagination that how come Justice Javed Iqbal, a retired senior judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan and presently serving as Chairman of National Accountibility Bureau got involved in the controversy with a lady and that too who had cases against her and husband is black mailing such a senior level person.
I have not seen nor heard that judges make personal rapport with any one whether a lady or a man but how did lady get into NAB's office to meet the chief.
Unlimited people have watched video clip and have heard the conversation between Justice Javed Iqbal and the lady which Justice Javed Iqbal is denying.
This particular case and where involvement of Justice Javed Iqbal is denied by his staff, not by himself is raising many questions be this a scandle.
People have been listening press conferences of Justice Javed Iqbal on TV and Radio and recognize Justice Javed Iqbal's voice very well, but how it is possible that some one speaks very similar to Justice Javed Iqbal?
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May 26, 2019 02:13am
Too good watchdog's anything you say!!!!
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May 26, 2019 02:25am
It's not a trap because it's not personal it's professional matter. What a shame he still in charge of NAB.
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May 26, 2019 03:11am
NAB Chairmen must step down to let justice prevail. How can prosecutor do an impartial work until NAB Chairmen resign
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May 26, 2019 03:53am
@Ameer , the chairman might be untouchable but he did want to touch with his lips. Have to give him credit at 73 years old. Bravo.
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May 26, 2019 04:06am
If this true why NAB is investigating and instead it should be a police case of extortion and police take care of it. Otherwise too, since NAB is party to the case they should not be prosecutor.
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May 26, 2019 04:11am
I am very surprised how NAB institution, which is a Pakistan government institute, is denying and defending these allegations on behalf of NAB chairman
, which are a personal matter of NAB chairman and no where in the alleged videos the alleged so-called blackmailers are talking about NAB institute. NAB should have distanced itself from this whole situation and should have let NAB chairman to handle it personally.
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May 26, 2019 04:14am
Youtube videos suggest the Chairman may not be innocent. He should resign and there be impartial inquiry to get to the bottom of the case. .
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May 26, 2019 04:24am
@Abp, well said
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May 26, 2019 04:24am
Apart from this article whatever is claimed in this, as seen in video mr chairman leaves his chair comes to the lady n hugged her. If it was any kind of fraud or propaganda why did he do that. As per call what he is talking is all fake? This may be propganda now after video leaked but what it was before
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May 26, 2019 04:24am
@Alam USA, well said
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May 26, 2019 04:29am
@Zaheer , gained moral ground. Your perspective is wrong, wake up.
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May 26, 2019 04:41am
Nobody can be the judge of his own cause.
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May 26, 2019 04:44am
@Justicefirst, Zardari and Sharif's are behind this, since they have the most loot to lose.
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May 26, 2019 04:50am
You could only be blackmailed if you have done something wrong...
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May 26, 2019 04:59am
As a Chairman of NAB Mr Iqbal should not have given interview to a journalist. By way of talking freely on politics and without minding his position as a State funtionary, he himself invited adversity. And unfortunately adversity does not come alone.
By way of hurling threats equally to opposition and govt and boasting his authority, the Chairman of NAB made his position controvertial and thus miserably failed to display, preserve dignity and honour neceesarily required to be in the office as Chairman NAB, the post that demands from the chairman to be highly disciplined, impartial, and indifferent from political activities as long as he remain in office
Irrespective of the fact whether the impugne video is fake or fictitious, the Chairman has lost confidence of people reposed in him and is liable to step down and present himself for impeachment voluntarily!
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May 26, 2019 05:38am
That is irony whenever BIG CULPRITS are brought to justice such controversies arises to shift mass focus and bring bad name and signage to institutions. Until we don’t make independent institutions free from political influences we can’t succeed n progress.....why such telecon not brought before n why now and how old is this? People must try to understand and think optimistic rather to become irrational and emotional.......
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May 26, 2019 05:49am
NAB.Chairman must check the trail of their connections. Possibly they are connected to COD parties cadres.
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May 26, 2019 06:00am
This name Chairman looks like street lover
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May 26, 2019 06:27am
It is false story NAB Chairman and Government are ready to
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May 26, 2019 06:32am
Means chairman knows exactly who leaked or did that thing....
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May 26, 2019 06:58am
Yeah Right. Mr. Javed Iqbal, you have been caught with your pants down. You have no moral standing anymore. Resign. You are disgraced.
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May 26, 2019 07:08am
"A few days ago, some footage and a few audio clips — first aired by News One — surfaced, in which a man could be heard talking to a woman, and making inappropriate remarks at various points".
If the man in the audio/video clip is not the chairman then the lady should be appointed as a professor of computer science and IT. She is expert in artifical intelligence and can make audio/video clone of any person.
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May 26, 2019 07:09am
It’s high to dismantle the so called NAB system and completely revamp it with higher Judiciary as its accountability authority.
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May 26, 2019 07:21am
Public is least interested in the crime record of lady involved or her husband. We need thorough forensic to know was the video and voice not that of a person holding highest office of accountability in the country.
Holders of public office have to have high moral grounds to occupy this seat.
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May 26, 2019 08:07am
Not a single time chairman NAB said he was not in purported videos. He needs to first prove that it was not him before filling references against other people. And BTW, it's not blackmailing, it's called "sting operation".
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May 26, 2019 08:31am
Accountability bureau chief with no accountability! Serious allegations against him n case is filed against accusers only! It's only the tip of the iceberg where the current dispensation n its facilitators real face should be exposed!
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May 26, 2019 09:08am
A very, very dirty game has been started. IT also shows the desperation of those facing accountability. If NAB chief resigns now, we know there will be no NAB chief as Shahbaz Sharif, the leader of the opposition, is outside the country and has no plans to return.
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May 26, 2019 09:20am
NAB chief is clearly involved in inappropriate approaches to this lady. He should immediately resign.
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May 26, 2019 09:23am
NAB is exceeding in its manadate.
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May 26, 2019 09:47am
NAB chairman disgraced Allama Iqbal. Should resign. IK should take action
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May 26, 2019 10:25am
I have been to a Lahore NAB office once, as a routine they do not allow mobile phone inside the building they take away your phone and give you a receipt to claim back when you are leaving the building. Surprise to me is that woman has phone in her hand and no one stopped her, says one thing that all security staff was told in advance the special nature of the visitor.
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May 26, 2019 10:28am
@Qamar, NAB chairman has no relationship with Allama Iqbal sahib this is just a coincidence that he shares the last name.
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May 26, 2019 01:53pm
Another distraction - we want accountability and the loot back - the corrupt forces who no doubt have unlimited resources are up to every trick to stop the investigation or derail it. NAB must bring speedy convictions and recover the loot. Their failure to close cases is giving room to all sorts of distractions.
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May 26, 2019 02:58pm
Need investigation against nap chairman.
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