ISLAMABAD – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched another inquiry against the president of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Shehbaz Sharif over the alleged use of prime minister’s plane during his stint as chief minister.
According to well-placed sources, the accountability watchdog would quiz Fawad Hassan Fawad, who was serving as principal secretary to then prime minister Nawaz Sharif at the time, in this regard.
They said Fawad had granted the permission and the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly would be summoned for questioning at a later stage.
“The bureau wants to know why the then prime minister allowed the then chief minister to use his plane, and how many times such permission was granted and under which rules,” the source detailed.
Sources say, the anti-graft body has formed a combined investigation team (CIT) and launched a formal probe into the allegations and a letter has also been dispatched to PM House seeking the usage records for the plane from 2014 to 2018.
Shahbaz Sharif who secured bail from the Lahore High Court in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases, is facing multiple corruption cases.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is also facing a probe by NAB regarding the use of chopper meant for Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He appeared before the body in August last year, before assuming office.
Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa CM Pervez Khattak and other officials have already recorded their statement in the case.
NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had directed the bureau’s KP director general to conduct an inquiry against former CM Pervez Khattak and Imran Khan over 74-hours unofficial use of two government helicopters.
In a statement, the PTI had welcomed NAB’s investigation into alleged misuse of the helicopter and stated that it always supports fair probe.
On Feb 3 last year, Imran Khan said that the KP government had made clear that there was never any personal or private use of government helicopters by him. He also said that NAB was most welcome to examine the issue.
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