Zardari, Bilawal grilled by NAB in fake account cases
PPP leaders summoned by the anti-graft body in connection with a case alleging illegal transfer of forest land to Pak Lane Estate Company (pvt) Ltd — a firm owned by the father-son duo
Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supremo Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Zardari were questioned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with different inquiries including money laundering through fake bank accounts on Wednesday.
The NAB said in a statement an investigative team had quizzed Bilawal and his father for around two hours about three cases. It gave no details on the cases, but said both men had been given questionnaires to be handed back within 10 days.
As the father and son reached the NAB office in Islamabad, a larger number of PPP workers greeted them with vociferous slogans against the NAB and the government.
A scuffle also took place between the activists and police resulting in injuries to some of them. Police took into custody some workers on the charge of violating the law. One report said that nearly 38 activists were detained.
The NAB team also did the video and audio recording of the statements of Zardari and Bilawal.
Ater their appearance before the NAB team, Bilawal condemned the police action and demanded that those arrested should be immediately released. It was the first time that Bilawal appeared before any investigating team.
Bilawal said the PPP was not scared of witch-hunting and would face vindictiveness with courage and patience. He said neither he nor his father or the PPP as a whole could be broken by such tactics.
Police did not allow Bilawal to hold a presser outside the office of the NAB office for security reasons and said he could speak to journalists at some secure place.
However, the PPP leader did speak to journalists there. He was questioned about the dealings when he was just one year old. He said he would continue to oppose the “puppet” government of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) and demand sacking of three ministers for having links with banned organisations.
“This isn’t a system of accountability. This is a system of political engineering. This is a system of the politics of revenge,” Bilawal told a news conference.
Bilawal said it was the weakness of the PPP government that it did not undo the black NAB law. He said when voted to power again the PPP would dispense with all such laws and constitutional changes.
“These things aren’t new to me. I have seen this all as a litle boy along with my mother visiting these accountability offices and these jails,” Bilawal said.
Bilawal says the latest corruption campaign against him and his fellow party leaders is intended to reverse provincial autonomy and divert regional funds to the federal government.
The PPP workers clashed with the police deployed for security around the NAB premises. At least six police officials were injured.
Police baton-charged them in an effort to control PPP workers and stop them from entering the NAB office.
Zardari and Bilawal were summoned by the anti-grat watchdog in connection with a case alleging illegal transfer of forest land to Pak Lane Estate Company (pvt) Ltd - a firm owned by the father-son duo.
The NAB claims the company was illegally acquired by the former president through a front man, Iqbal Memon, in 1989. Twenty years later, Zardari and Bilawal became its shareholders.
Expecting a large crowd of party workers, the NAB requested the federal capital’s inspector general and chief commissioner to ensure special security arrangements ahead of the hearing at NAB.
Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said over 200 workers have been detained while 50 are missing. He urged the capital’s administration to release the detained the workers and find the missing ones. “We will not be stopped by force,” he asserted.
Earlier during the day, a joint investigation team, formed to probe the Model Town Lahore tragedy, on Wednesday recorded the statement of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Kot Lakhpat prison Lahore.
A five-member JIT, led by Inspector General of Police, Pakistan Motorway, AD Khawaja, prepared 22 questions for Sharif, who was quizzed in his barrack.
The JIT had sought formal permission from the accountability court to record Sharif ’s statement in the case.