Shehbaz seeks to be excused from NAB appearance, citing virus risk
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to grant him an extension for his appearance, stating that medical professionals had “advised him to restrict his movements due to life-threatening risks associated with Covid-19” (the disease caused by the coronavirus), as he was a cancer survivor.
The NAB had summoned Sharif to appear yesterday, asking him furnish the complete details of his foreign assets and other businesses in a money laundering case.
In a fresh questionnaire sent to the PML-N leader, the NAB said that multiple call-up notices, along with questionnaires, were issued to the PML-N leader but his replies were found “unsatisfactory, incomplete and evasive”.
Sharif was also asked to provide the complete details of his business income as claimed before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), along with investments and the volume and expenditures incurred during the period when his Model Town residence was declared the chief minister’s house/camp office.
In a reply submitted to the bureau yesterday, Sharif said that he had been questioned “at great length about his entire career and assets while in the NAB’s custody on physical remand” and “furnished whatever information was sought and was available”.
“All call-up notices were replied [to] within the [given] time, and full co-operation was extended, including personal appearances.”
Sharif said that “it was unfortunate that the call-up notice described the replies as unsatisfactory, incomplete and evasive”.
He added that all his assets are on record and that he had been regularly updating the concerned authorities about his assets.
Commenting on his reason for not appearing, Sharif said: “I am a 69-year-old cancer survivor, due to which I have low immunity.
“Medical professionals have advised me to restrict my movement and limit exposure due to life-threatening risks associated with Covid-19.”
He added that the data required by the NAB is also unavailable due to the lockdown.
In 2018, medical experts had said on the condition of anonymity that years ago Sharif was treated for appendicular adenocarcinoma (a cancerous tumour).
According to his medical reports that had surfaced at the time, Sharif was said to be suffering from a kidney infection, a lymph node in his chest, and had chances of his cancer resurfacing.