Daily Times

An accountability court in Lahore on Tuesday declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif’s son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf, a proclaimed absconder on the request of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Imran Ali Yousaf is accused of receiving graft in excess of Rs 12 million from Punjab Power Development Company (PPDC) former chief executive officer Ikram Naveed and is the subject of a NAB probe.

He appeared before NAB investigators in April but has since missed his scheduled hearings and left the country for London.

The bureau, which last month requested the interior ministry to extradite Yousaf via Interpol, on Tuesday told the accountability court that “warrant of arrest against the accused has been issued by NAB chairman”.

“As per investigation officer, the accused has gone underground and is not traceable,” the statement read.

In the light of this, the bureau asked the court to declare Yousaf a proclaimed absconder — a request that was accepted.

In its notice to Yousaf, NAB had said, “In the inquiry against PPDC former CEO Ikram Naveed, it has been revealed that you are in possession of evidence which relates to the commission of the said offences. You are also required to record your statement with respect to amounts transferred by Ikram Naveed to you.”

According to a source, the then Punjab chief minister’s son-in-law was also accused of “getting Naveed appointed as PPDC CEO who allegedly committed massive corruption. NAB is quizzing Yousaf on the information provided about him by Naveed”.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had already carried out a probe against Naveed and Yousaf in 2016. It declared Naveed guilty of embezzling Rs 450 million.

The ACE in its investigation found that Naveed had purchased 19 properties in his and his family members’ names and also unearthed his and his family members property worth over Rs 1 billion. The property has been attached and their bank accounts frozen.

Published in Daily Times, August 8^th 2018.