ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau Rawalpindi on Friday summoned Zulfiqar Bokhari, a close aide to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, on June 25 in a case related to offshore companies.
NAB sources claimed that the bureau has also directed Wajid Bukhari, the father of Zulfi Bukhari, to appear before an investigation team in the same case on June 26. The sources said that the NAB Rawalpindi had issued three notices to Bukhari for having five offshore companies.
On May 9, the NAB had written a letter to the interior ministry to put the name of Bukhari on the exit control list but it did not get any response.
Bukhari’ s name came to the limelight last week when he went to Saudi Arabia with Khan to perform Umrah on a special jet. Media raised the question that how he was allowed to go abroad when his name was included on the blacklist.
Last week, the interior ministry, issued a notification to “grant one-time permission to Bukhari for a period of six days” to perform Umrah after he was stopped from travelling to Saudi Arabia along with Khan.
Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul Mulk had also sought a report from the interior ministry on the issue. The ministry said in its report that Bukhari’s name was not included on the ECL.
On Thursday, during the hearing on a petition of Bukhari at the Islamabad High Court, a NAB prosecutor told the court that he did not appear before the NAB investigation team despite being summoned.
He said that Bukhari had replied to the summons on March 20 that he was a British citizen and the NAB lacked the jurisdiction to investigate him. He said that the bureau was not informed whether the interior ministry had placed his name on the blacklist.
A senior official of the Ministry of Interior informed the court that they had received a letter from the NAB on May 10 requesting that Bukhari’s name be placed on the ECL but the ministry placed Bukhari’s name on the blacklist after receiving the letter.
Talking to media outside IHC, Bukhari said that he was not given any reason for placing his name on the blacklist.
NAB KP AUTHORISES SEVERAL INQUIRIES
Staff Reporter from Peshawar adds: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has authorised several inquiries against officials of Railway Estate Development and Marketing Company, TMA Takht Nasrati, District Administration Office Kohat and others regarding corruption and corrupt practices.
The Regional Board Meeting was chaired by NAB KP Director General Farmanullah Khan in Peshawar. The meeting was attended by directors, deputy prosecutor general, case officers, and other concerned officials.
The board authorised an inquiry against officials of Railway Estate Development and Marketing Company and others regarding corruption and corrupt practices. The subjects are alleged to have illegally rented out 48 shops at Karkhano Markets Peshawar in complete violation of rules.
It also authorised an inquiry against officials of TMA Takht Nasrati and others regarding corruption and corrupt practices. The subjects are alleged to have illegally awarded execution contracts of water supply schemes in District Karak.
Another inquiry was authorised against officials of District Administration Office Kohat regarding misuse of authority.
The subjects are alleged to have been involved in double payment for different development projects in gross violation of law. The board authorised an inquiry against the political administration of South Waziristan and Khyber regarding embezzlement of funds. The subjects are alleged to have embezzled political welfare funds.
Another inquiry was authorised against officials of Forest Sub-Division Mingora and others regarding corruption and corrupt practices. The subjects are alleged to have illegally sold of state land in Swat. The board also approved supplementary reference against Arshad Pervez and Nadeem Pervez of Sky Pharmacy Peshawar regarding cheating public at large.