SHAHID RAO/NOKHAIZ SAHI
ISLAMABAD - National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Tuesday submitted before the Supreme Court of Pakistan a report of 150 mega corruption cases, involving high-profile figures like Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former premiers, ministers and top bureaucrats.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing a petition filed earlier this year by Manzoor Ahmed Ghauri against the NAB chairman and other officials while Additional Attorney General Tariq Tarar and NAB Prosecutor General Waqas Qadeer submitted the report documents in the Supreme Court.
The NAB authorities furnished the list which also contains the names of two former premiers, an ex-president, ministers and top bureaucrats.
The document shows that NAB is conducting an inquiry against the Sharifs for building a road at the cost of Rs 126 million in the suburbs of Lahore to facilitate traffic to their sprawling Raiwind estate where the ruling family resides.
During the hearing, the apex court showed its dissatisfaction over the NAB report and directed it to add further details of the cases and submit the same on July 13, the next date of hearing of this case. The report reveals that former president Asif Ali Zardari is facing probes for corruption of billions of rupees and for having assets beyond resources. Former premiers Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf are also facing probes. Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is being scrutinised for the rental power plants (RPP) case.
The NAB list shows the incumbent finance minister Ishaq Dar is also being investigated for corruption.
Some other prominent persons under investigation include former ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani, former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao and former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani. Haqqani has been accused of embezzling funds, but NAB has so far failed to calculate the amount in this regard. He was also accused of issuing licences of FM stations to three private companies.
According to the report, a scam worth Rs 700 million against Ghazi Akhtar of Tandlianwala Sugar Mills is also being probed by the NAB. Inquiries are also underway against former National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi over embezzlement charges worth Rs 2 billion and another ex-chairman of NICL Abid Jawed over a potential scam of Rs 2 billion.
Investigations have already been launched against Schon group for alleged embezzlement of Rs 1,245 billion, Younus Habib for allegedly ill-intentioned default of Rs 3 billion and former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani for possessing Rs 100 million.
The report also mentioned 50 cases of monetary irregularities, misuse of powers and land scams. It showed that among the monetary irregularities, inquiries were being conducted in 22 cases, probes launched into 13 cases and references filed in 15 cases.
The report also mentioned that inquiries were underway in 20 cases of abuse of power, while a probe has been launched into 15 cases and references filed in 15 cases.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Tuesday submitted a list of 150 high-profile corruption cases to the attorney general office, showing names of political leadership of the country, including incumbent and former prime ministers.
The NAB said in its summary that 22 inquiries of financial scams were under process, 13 investigations under progress and 15 references pertaining to financial scams were under trail as 29 inquires under process, 13 investigations under progress and eight references under trail in land scams and 20 inquiries under process and 15 investigations under progress, sources added.
The NAB list says inquiry against three former FBR chairmen, Abdullah Yousuf, Ali Arshad Hakeem and Azhar Majeed Khalid, involves an amount of US $ 11 million. In the inquiry against government functionaries/officials and others for award of Rental Power Plant (RPP) contract to M/s GE Sheikhupura (Pvt) Ltd, former PM Raja Pervaiz Asharf and ex-finance minister Shukat Tareen are the main accused and Rs 2.970 billion are involved in this case. Another inquiry under process against Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Shaukat Tareen relates to misuse of authority for awarding RPP contract to M/s Young Gen Power Ltd, Faisalabad.
The case is under trail against ex-PMs Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for misuse of authority in illegal appointment of Tauqir Sadiq as Ogra chairman.