NAB gets 4 weeks to wrap up asset probe against Chaudhrys

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed Thursday the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to wrap up its investigation in the assets beyond means case against PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in four weeks.

Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan took up writ petitions filed by the Chaudhry brothers challenging the NAB chairman’s powers and the corruption watchdog’s inquiries against them.

NAB Lahore Director General Saleem Shahzad appeared before the court and informed it that the bureau has closed an illegal appointments inquiry against Elahi while the ongoing assets beyond means investigation against both petitioners will be completed in six months.

“How do you start investigation against a person who pays all his taxes and declares his assets?” asked the judge.

He questioned the NAB DG about his assets, to which the latter replied that he owns assets worth Rs40 million and gets Rs0.5 million montly salary.

The PML-Q leaders had alleged in their petitions that the NAB was being used for political engineering and old cases against them were reopened. The inquiries that have been reopened had been recommended for closure by the investigating officers and regional NAB board during 2017 and 2018, they added.