Four cases against Sharif kin to be probed
They include misuse of funds in erecting a security fence around their Raiwind Palace
The government yesterday decided to refer four new cases regarding misuse of authority and funds by the Sharif family to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation.
Addressing a joint news conference here, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Media Affairs Iftikhar Durrani and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SPAM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar said the cases included misuse of funds in erecting a security fence around their Raiwind Palace, plundering funds allocated for entertainment and gifts, unauthorised use of the prime minister’s aircraft by Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, causing irreparable loss to the national exchequer.
Durrani said Prime Minister Imran Khan had paid all the expenses for the security fence erected as per the Blue Book at his Banigala residence, while the Sharif family had spent taxpayers’ money for the purpose.
About Rs600 million (Dh16.4 million) was spent to secure the “Raiwind Mahal”, which was tantamount to misusing the authority and funds, he added.
Shahzad Akbar said the record of the prime minister and Punjab Chief Minister houses would be handed over to NAB to probe the cases.
He said the previous rulers had been using the taxpayers money lavishly. The budget of Chief Minister House was enhanced manifold during the years 2013-2018 with malafide intention, he added.
He said the Assets Recovery Unit was in process of referring a case about the Sharif’s family’s new property unearthed in London to NAB. “The information about the property was revealed by media. Investigative journalists had done the job that I was supposed to do. The media is the closest partner in the responsibilities put on my shoulder to identify the corrupt elements and corrupt practices.”
A news channel, he said, had flashed the news of the property [Frederick Close] located in Central London of around £2.3 million value. The documents regarding its ownership and rental income from 2012 to 2016 had been available, “but were buried in files”.
According to those documents, he said, the property was in the name of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, late wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The SPAM said as prime minister and a Member of the National Assembly (MNA), it was Nawaz Sharif’s responsibility to declare the assets owned by his dependents, including his wife.
He said the declaration of spouse’s assets by every citizen were mandatory to be made in wealth statements while a member of the parliament was also required to do so in nomination forms submitted with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) for taking part in elections, he added.
Parliamentarians were also supposed to submit their annual declarations with the ECP mentioning their own assets and those of their spouses, he added.