Sindh CM says can't appear for NAB questioning on Sept 24

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has requested the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to set another date for his questioning in a case pertaining to offering subsidies to Thatta and Dadu sugar mills through improper channels, ARY News reported on Monday.

The NAB Rawalpindi has summoned the chief minister on Sept 24 (tomorrow) for questioning in connection with its probe into his alleged role in giving subsidies to Thatta Sugar Mills and Dadu Sugar Mills.

Shah wrote a letter to the anti-graft watchdog, requesting it to grant him more time as he received its subpoena lately. He assured that he would appear before it on any given date.

Earlier, on Sept 17,  the Sindh CM had failed to appear before a combined investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The chief minister’s principal secretary appeared before the bureau instead, according to sources.

He was given a questionnaire, comprising eight questions, to hand it over to the CM to file his reply within seven days.

The sources said the chief executive of the province was asked to show up before the team within seven days’ time.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and close aides are currently in jail in judicial custody over allegations of being among the beneficiaries of the fake bank accounts.

Shah, in his capacity as Sindh finance minister, had allegedly given subsidies to certain sugar mills including “closed” Thatta Sugar Mills and Dadu Sugar Mills.