ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau has summoned former president Asif Ali Zardari in illegal award of water supply contract of Sindh government to private companies on May 16 (Thursday) again, The Nation has learnt.

The Combined Investigation Team of NAB summoned PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari on May 8, 2019 but he did not appear and got pre-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court in the same case on last Thursday to avoid possible arrest in this case.

The former president moved a bail petition requesting the court to grant him bail in the case and direct the bureau to provide details of all cases it has been investigating against him. After hearing initial arguments, an IHC bench approved the interim bail of Zardari until May 15 against a surety of Rs500,000.

Well-placed sources told The Nation that a new summon has been issued by NAB Rawalpindi Bureau and it has also been delivered to Co-Chairman PPP Asif Zardari.

New summons delivered to the PPP co-chairman

The NAB CIT on money laundering through fake accounts case summoned him on May 16 in illegal award of contract to a private company for recording his statement.

NAB had also recorded the statements of Zardari’s close aides Abdul Ghani Majeed and Munahil Ghani in the same case. It will be second appearance of Asif Zardari before NAB investigation team in fake accounts cases.

Sources said that Asif Zardari once again likely to avoid appearance before CIT due to fear of his arrest in this case.

Asif Zardari had also submitted his statement in the Park Lane case and denied his involvement in these cases. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto, Faryal Talpur, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and former CM Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah had also appeared before NAB CIT and recorded their statements in the same case.

NAB had also given a questionaire to Chairman PPP during his appearance before NAB CIT with instruction to submit it within 10 days but he could not submit it so far.

On the other hand, NAB Karachi team arrested Muhammad Yaseen Palijo son of Abdullah Palijo from Islamabad yesterday. Accused Muhammad Yaseen Palijo is an engineer in Town Committee Sujawal.

He is alleged to prepare bogus Measurements Books (MBs) of the town committee projects. The investigation revealed that officers/officials of Town Committee in connivance with dummy contractors embezzled about Rs100 million. They withdrew money mostly in cash from the bank account of town committee Sujawal without getting any work done on the ground.