LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned PML-N President and opposition leaders Shahbaz Sharif for Aug 23 in the Lahore Waste Management Company ((LWMC)) scam.

Shahbaz Sharif had skipped the NAB hearing in this scam last month over poor health grounds. The NAB had then sent him a questionnaire which, according PML-N, had been responded to.

On Friday, the NAB Lahore re-summoned him for Aug 23 asking him to appear before a combined investigation team at its Thokhar Niaz Baig office and bring along relevant record with regard to investigation into the LWMC.

Shahbaz Sharif has been on bail in the Ashiana Housing and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases. He is also facing income beyond means and money laundering investigation by the NAB.

The bureau also re-summoned former Punjab minister and PML-N leader Rana Mashhood in connection with the Punjab Youth Festival scam for Aug 22.

The bureau has already arrested six officials allegedly involved in this scandal. They included Sports Board Director General director Usman Anwar, deputy directors Tariq Maqsood and Walait Shah, Guinness Book of World Record’s fake representative Syed Wasim, and contractors Muhammad Imran and Ehsanul Haq.

Two more contractors –Asad Ashraf and Aarshad Ashraf – were also summoned who recorded their statements in the inquiry against misappropriation in the Punjab Youth Festival funds by public functionaries and management of the Punjab Sports Boards and others.

Rana Mashood said that the bureau had earlier given him a clean chit in this investigation as he had done nothing wrong and submitted all relevant record and replied to the bureau’s queries.

On the request of NAB, the interior ministry has placed Mashhood’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2019