Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has submitted his reply to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a Rs 140 billion embezzlement case.

Official sources said that former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani had however not submitted his reply so far. They said that NAB had completed its report in the Pervez Ashraf corruption case. They said that NAB officials were now concluding the investigation process.

Former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf had approved the international clearing house policy in August 2012, which was aimed at introducing a cartel of fourteen LDI companies. “It led to an increase in international call rates from 3 cents to 8.8 cents,” sources said. This enforcement of the policy directly benefitted the LDI operators, they said.

Earlier, NAB had summoned both the former prime ministers for questioning. “Afterwards, they were sent questionnaires. Pervez Ashraf has now submitted his reply over allegations of Rs 140 billion corruption. However, no reply has been received so far from Gilani,” source said.

On the request of Ministry of Information Technology and Communication, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had earlier sent the matter to NAB. LDI operators have obtained stay orders from the Sindh High Court.

Published in Daily Times, July 3^rd , 2017.