Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Harish and Company case and the monetary watchdog questioned him for an hour and a half.
NAB has alleged that Harish and Company was awarded a contract for water supply from the provincial Special Initiative Department but it did not do the required work on the project. Instead, the funds reserved for the project were used to meet the expenses of the Naudero House, NAB claimed. It has filed a reference against Special Initiative Department former secretary Ejaz Ahmed Khan and other suspects. NAB also noted that Harish and Company was used as a front company by Park Lane Estate which led to a loss of Rs 60 million to the national exchequer.
Farooq H Naek, the lawyer for Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said his client has nothing to do with the Harish and Company. He added that even the reference did not include the name of the former president, yet his client has been summoned by the NAB.
“Zardari wasn’t a director rather a shareholder in Park Lane. Park Lane mortgaged its property and took a loan. Zardari was not aware of this. It was discovered in the JIT that the property had been mortgaged,” Naek said, and added that Zardari had gone to the court against the directors over company’s decision to mortgage the property. According to Naek, no questionnaire has been handed to Asif Ali Zardari. Zardari was granted bail extension until June 12 in the Parklane Estate case, while he and his sister were granted extension until June 11 in the Joint Venture (JV) Opal 225 inquiry. In the case regarding import of bulletproof vehicles, the PPP co-chairperson’s bail was extended until June 20, while in the Haresh and Company case, he was given bail extension until May 30.