Pakistan’s anti-corruption body has issued summons to former Prime Ministers for controversial appointments of former chairman of country’s of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
Islamabad, June 3/Nationalturk – Day ahead of taking over of control by new elected government led by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s anti-corruption body National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued summons to former Prime Ministers for controversial appointments of former chairman of country’s of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
“We have sent fresh notices to former PMs Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani last Friday,” a NAB official was quoting as saying by Pakistan’s newspaper, The Dawn.
Gilani and Ashraf were PMs in last government led by PPP.
The former prime ministers are accused of ‘illegal’ appointment of Tauqeer Sadiq as country’s of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority chairman. Sadiq is a relative of senior PPP leader Jehangir Badar.
Sadiq has been declared as a proclaimed offender as he is also a principal accused in a Rs82bn scam. He fled abroad soon after country’s Supreme Court declared his appointment illegal on Nov 25, 2011.
Officials said Parvez Ashraf was chairman of the interview board when Sadiq’s appointment was made while Gilani was the prime minister at the time.
‘Both former PMs will have to appear before investigators’
A NAB spokesman said the two former PMs were expected to appear from the investigators this week.
He said former PM Parvez Ashraf had appeared before the NAB investigators on May 17 and gave a brief statement. He was also given a questionnaire which he has to fill in and return by June 3.
The official said a second notice is being sent to former PM Gilani because he did not comply with the first one according to which he was to visit the NAB headquarters on May 30.
Under the NAB Ordinance, stern action can be taken against a person who does not comply with three notices of the bureau. Such a person may face arrest and heavy fine.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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