ISLAMABAD June 14: NAB Chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari said here on Thursday that the Arsalan Iftikhar case did not fall under the purview of the National Accountability Bureau.

A few hours earlier, NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal said at a news conference that the bureau would take action under its law and the case would be dealt with on merit.

The NAB chief said in a statement: “The Arsalan Iftikhar case is between two individuals and it has no financial implications on the national exchequer. It seems that it does not come under the NAB Ordinance, 1999.”

But he ordered his legal team to look into the matter and said if any complaint in his regard was registered with the bureau it would be dealt with under the NAB law.

Property tycoon Malik Riaz has accused Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, of receiving Rs340 million from him on the promise of getting cases pending in the Supreme Court settled in his favour and in favour of his Bahria Town.

On Tuesday when Malik Riaz appeared before the apex court and submitted his statement, Attorney General Irfan Qadir told the court that the case came under the ambit of Section 18 (4) of the NAB Ordinance.

He said NAB could start inquiry into the case under Section (9) of the ordinance, dealing with income beyond means.

Mr Qadir said under the ordinance an accused person could avoid arrest on payment of the entire amount of corruption money to NAB.

A source in the NAB said the bureau would not act against Malik Riaz because a number of its senior officials were reluctant to do so. It has been alleged that the NAB chairman himself was appointed on the recommendation of Mr Riaz.

The NAB confirmed on Friday that some of its officials in Rawalpindi had suggested that ‘no further action’ should be taken against the Bahria Town chief.

The NAB spokesman told journalists that NAB had never been keen to take up the Arsalan Iftikhar case, but if a complaint was registered it would take action under its law and the case would be dealt with on merit.

Responding to a question about the Islamabad DHA land scam in which Malik Riaz was also involved, he said: “The NAB is an independent organisation and will act under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance and NAB’s investigation teams will make all efforts to remain transparent to avoid any influence whatsoever, either from the government or from any other institution.”

When asked about the number of cases against Bahria Town and Malik Riaz, he said details would be shared with the media within a week after the NAB Rawalpindi got its official record updated on its shifting to Islamabad.

He said at present there was no case against Bahria Town with the NAB.

The spokesman claimed that during the tenure of the current NAB chairman not a single case against Bahria Town was closed and if a complaint was received it would be dealt with independently without any influence.

Responding to a question about the Sharif brothers’ money laundering case forwarded by the federal government, the spokesperson said NAB’s investigation team had thoroughly studied the material and its findings would be shared with the media after its approval by the executive body.