NAB again summons Imran in Helicopter case

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who is poised to become prime minister of Pakistan, in a case pertaining to the alleged misuse of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopters.

The PTI chief has been asked to show up on August 7 before the NAB Peshawar office where he is most likely to be quizzed about the case.

The NAB has launched a probe into alleged illegal use of the KP government’s helicopters, causing loss to the national exchequer.

The Bureau had earlier summoned Imran on July 18 but he didn’t turn up and submitted a reply through his counsel.

Khan’s counsel Babar Awan in his reply said the PTI chairman welcomed NAB’s move to investigate the case. “Mr. Khan will further empower NAB if he is voted to power in upcoming elections,” added Awan.

The counsel said Mr. Khan was currently busy in election campaigning, hence his appearance before the NAB was a bit difficult. He assured that the PTI chairman would appear before the accountability watchdog on priority right after the elections.

If the NAB finds it feasible, Awan requested, then August 7 should be fixed as the next date of case hearing.

In February this year, the previous Khyber Pakthhunkhwa (KP) government had clarified alleged misuse of its helicopters by PTI chief Imran Khan, stating the government-owned helicopters were never used for his personal or private use.

In a statement, the then PTI-led KP government said Khan accompanying the ministers and advisers used those helicopters for the official tours.

“These helicopters were used on 39 occasions in last four and half years,” the provincial government officials said in the statement on Feb 4, 2018.

The statement shared details of 39 official trips, as it was said, that the helicopters were used for around 75 flying hours against fuel charges of approximately Rs 2.1 million in last four and half years.