Criminal cases will be filed against those named in sugar probe: Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability, Shahzad Akbar on Saturday held a press conference on the ongoing sugar corruption inquiries against the PMLN leadership, ARY News reported.

SAPM Shahzad Akbar said that the sugar inquiry commission report was released as promised by the premier and it makes some shocking and troubling revelations.

He added that the PMLN is struggling to read and understand the inquiry report or does not want to understand it due to apparent reasons.

Akbar claimed that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) wanted to lead the nation astray on the sugar inquiry commission report.

Singling out vice president of the party and former prime minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Shahzad Akbar said that he has been lying consistently and continuously on the matter.

He further entailed that the inquiry commission affixed the responsibility of the corruption on betting agents who have been working in collusion with sugar mills across the country.

Shahzad Akbar stated that the commission summoned Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah for inquiry but he refrained from appearance.

Akbar said that the inquiry commission has put out a charge sheet against the former prime minister, Khaqan Abbasi with the report for which he has to be answerable for.

Akbar said that according to the report, Abbasi gave a subsidy worth 20 billion rupees within 24 hours for export.

Akbar said that this sugar was unaccounted for and was sold in the black market whilst carrying no taxes.

The advisor claimed that Abbasi failed to provide documentary evidence to support his claims of fair practice in front of the sugar inquiry commission.

Shahzad Akbar stressed that all sugar mills in the country needed to be audited on priority to see where kickbacks, malpractice, embezzlement and corruotion took place.

Shahzad Akbar further entailed that criminal cases will be filed on the basis of the sugar inquiry commission report.

He added that the corruption cases of the past and these new revelations differ invariably and the national accountability bureau (NAB) is independent to proceed on the report as they deem fit.

Akbar also claimed that a NAB reference awaited leader of the opposition in the national assembly and President of PMLN, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

“Shehbaz Sharif is observing self-imposed quarantine without being infected from the virus, while Nawaz Sharif the elder brother remains an absconding convict, said Shahzad Akbar.