ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday sent a notice to former premiers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Nawaz Sharif while summoning them for investigation into alleged importing of 34 bulletproof cars from Germany without payment of customs duty on any of them.
NAB had handed over the new notice to former PM Abbasi after his appearance before NAB investigation team in illegal contract award of LNG to ETPL in the NAB Rawalpindi Bureau.
Notice sent to Abbasi states that the cars were imported ahead of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit 2016, and were to be used by diplomats. The notice requires response from Abbasi that why were the cars used for the protocol of Sharif family.
Importantly, the investigation is likely to get expand with the interrogation of former premier Nawaz Sharif as well in the same case based on allegation that 20 of the total 34 vehicles were used for the protocol of Sharif family.
Earlier, the NAB had grilled ex-premier’s former principal secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad and former foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry. It is reported that they together with officials of foreign office misused their authority by allocating the bulletproof cars for Sharif’s family instead of diplomats.
The anti-graft watchdog has found that former foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry had allegedly approved summary to buy 34 bulletproof cars from Germany.
It also obtained copy of letter dispatched by Fawad in this connection. The cars were allegedly used by Sharif’s and close relatives of top officials.