ISLAMABAD - Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar has said that PML-N leader Khawaja Asif was arrested because he could not satisfy the NAB on his assets beyond known means of sources.
Addressing a news conference along with Advisor to PM on Youth Affairs Usman Dar here yesterday, he said Khawaja Asif’s assets grew very fast during the last few years and he purchased several properties in different cities of Pakistan while being a public office holder.
Giving details of Kh Asif’s assets beyond means, Shahzad Akbar said Kh Asif had been receiving 2.2 million rupees per month salary from a Dubai company when he was also a minister in Pakistan from 2013-18.
He said Khawaja Asif received a total of 140 million rupees from the Dubai company in respect of salary, but there is no bank proof of the salary transfer.
Shahzad Akbar said under the law, unexplained wealth of a public office holder is perceived to be corruption.
Citing details of the assets of Kh Asif, he said that total volume of the assets of Kh Asif in 1993 was Rs5.1 million, which grew tremendously during the last few years.
He said, Kh Asif served in three different ministries during the last government.
Khawaja Asif in view of salary showed Rs140 million in FBR record, said Shahzad Akbar adding that in 2013, total assets of Kh Asif were 12 million rupees, which accelerated to 118 million rupees.
He said, there is the same procedure for rising assets of all three PML-N leaders including Kh Asif, Rana Sanaullah and Shahbaz Sharif.
The Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability said that Khawaja Asif failed to satisfy NAB about his assets details. He said there are a total of 48 bank accounts to the family members of Kh Asif. He said Khawaja Asif purchased a plot of Rs8 million and sold that plot to the same company for Rs40 million. Money laundering was made through the same procedure of TTs as adopted by his leader, said Shahzad Akbar.
He said Asif failed to provide a single evidence of withdrawing a salary from a consultancy firm in view of salary of Rs.2.2 million per month.
He didn’t receive a single salary after the end of PML-N government, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Usman Dar refuted the impression of political victimization. He said Kh Asif does not have any known business, but he is one of the richest persons of Sialkot.
He said it was unique that defence minister of a country was also simultaneously doing job in a foreign company. More evidences of corruption will be unearthed when other investigations will be made, said Usman Dar.
He said these are the very elements for which 34 amendments were proposed in the NAB ordinance to protect them but Prime Minister Imran Khan had refused to give NRO to the corrupt elements. He said they used to accuse the government of political victimization when they failed to produce any evidence in their support and claim.
Responding to a question, Shahzad Akbar said that the incident of Osama Satti will not be allowed to turn into another tragedy and all the elements involved in this incident will be taken to task.
