LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought the personal appearance of the NAB-Lahore director general in a joint petition by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi challenging the inquiries against them.

Earlier, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan expressed concern when a NAB prosecutor said the inquiries against the petitioners were pending for the last 20 years. He said an inquiry into assets beyond means case against both petitioners was at final stage while another inquiry into illegal appointments against Mr Elahi had been approved for closure.

The bench observed that it wanted to know as to why the inquiries had been kept pending for 20 years. It summoned NAB-Lahore DG Shahzad Saleem to explain the position on Nov 26.

The PML-Q leaders, also allies of the PTI-led government, alleged in their petition that the institution of the NAB was being used for political engineering and old cases against them were being repeatedly opened and closed. They said all the three investigations were recommended for closure by the investigating officers and regional board of the NAB during 2017 and 2018.

However, the sitting chairman of the NAB approved reinvestigation and bifurcation of the inquiries against them after an investigation of 20 years since authorization of the investigation in 2000. They asked the court to set aside the authorization of the inquiries and the order for their bifurcation passed by the NAB chairman for being unlawful.

In response to the petition, the NAB in its reply accused the PML-Q leaders of committing money laundering and accumulating illegal assets. It said the petitioners and their family members failed to explain sources of the assets and foreign remittances. It alleged that the wealth of Mr Hussain and his family increased to Rs2.556 billion while the wealth Mr Elahi’s family increased to Rs4.069 billion from 1985 to 2018.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2020