Daily Times

An accountability court on Thursday summoned arguments in a case related to illegal appointments by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz on January 28. The former prime minister Shaukat Aziz is accused of misuse of powers while being in power. Meanwhile, the co-accused in the case, former federal minister, Liaquat Jatoi filed plea in the court for his acquittal from the case. Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, Jatoi’s lawyer said, according to the new laws of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) my client cannot be trialed. He pleaded the court to pass orders for Liaquat Jatoi’s acquittal from the case. The court has issued notice to the anti-graft watchdog body over Jatoi’s plea.

It is pertinent to mention here that Shaukat Aziz had not been appearing before the court since long in a corruption reference filed against him by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). NAB had filed a reference against Shaukat Aziz, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2004 to 2007 – over misuse of powers during his tenure as prime minister. NAB contends that he had illegally appointed Mr Basharat Hasan Bashir as a consultant for the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) on Management Position-II (MP-II) pay scale. The accountability watchdog maintains that the appointment of Bashir violated MP scale policy guidelines and the board’s regulations. Basharat Hasan Bashir was appointed on January 1st, 2006 without open competition, NAB says. After expiry of his consultancy contract in May 2008, Basharat Hasan Bashir illegally held the said post for almost five years without any extension, notification or regular appointment and kept on enjoying salary and all perks and privileges illegally in connivance with the management of AEDB. Separately, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab president Rana Sanaullah in connection with its probe into his assets on Feb 3. The anti-graft watchdog had previously asked him to turn up before it later this month with a reply to a questionnaire handed to him during his appearance on Jan 2. However, it has now rescheduled his appearance for Feb 3. According to sources, the questionnaire handed to him comprises fourteen questions. The questions related to the assets the PML-N MNA and his family members acquired over the past two decades, they said. He has been asked to provide the money trail behind his residential and commercial plots in Lahore and Faisalabad and shares in the Bank of Punjab. He has been further instructed to explain how his assets multiplied exponentially over the past 18 years.

Earlier, on Jan 2, Rana Sanaullah had appeared before the NAB Lahore and was handed a questionnaire about the investigation into his assets. He was also quizzed about his income and assets.

Speaking to reporters after the investigation session, he had said his assets were the same he had already declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan.