LAHORE: Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Ali Jahangir Siddiqui did not appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore, on Friday in connection with a transaction of Rs150 million between him and Fawad Hasan Fawad, the former principal secretary to the prime minister.

NAB had summoned Mr Siddiqui to quiz him on charges that he had transferred Rs150m to the account of Mr Fawad before his appointment as ambassador to the US.

During interrogation, Mr Fawad is reported to have claimed that he had received Rs150m as a ‘loan’ from Mr Siddiqui.

“Neither Mr Siddiqui tur­n­ed up nor his lawyer appe­ared before NAB on Friday,” an official of NAB said.

NAB had termed Mr Siddiqui’s reply in the case of stocks manipulation “unsatisfactory”.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had criticised former prime minister Shahid Kha­qan Abbasi for appointing Mr Siddiqui for the post, citing nepotism.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2018