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Published 20 Apr, 2018 04:53pm

NAB to investigate Musharraf for 'holding assets beyond means' and 'abuse of power'

The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) executive board decided on Friday to investigate allegations against former president Pervez Musharraf for "holding assets beyond means", DawnNewsTV reported.

According to DawnNewsTV the NAB executive board will also investigate the retired general for "wrongful use of power."

The NAB chairman, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, also ordered investigations against various current and former officials, including Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, for owning an offshore company; and the president of Bank of Punjab, for having assets beyond means.

On February 9, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had redefined NAB's powers, allowing the bureau to investigate ex-military men, especially retired generals, and directed it to investigate Musharraf for his alleged corruption while holding his office.

The February judgement cleared a 19-year-old ambiguity in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) due to which NAB had always shown reluctance in proceeding against retired army officers despite complaints of corruption against them.

The matter was taken to the IHC by retired Lt Col Inamur Rahim in 2014, who sought a probe into the alleged corruption done by Musharraf.

In his complaint filed some five years ago, the petitioner had asked NAB to hold an inquiry into the allegation that the general, in his nomination papers, had declared assets which were beyond his known sources of income.

According to the petitioner, Musharraf, as chief of the army staff as well as the president of Pakistan, had violated his oath according to which he was duty bound to defend the country and protect its citizens.

Inam had referred to page 237 of Musharraf’s book, In the Line of Fire, and its chapter titled ‘Man Hunt’ to point out that the former military ruler admitted to handing over a large number of people to the US "in order to make money".

The petitioner had also alleged that Musharraf “injected corruption into the senior hierarchy of the armed forces by allotting them plots over and above their entitlements”.

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