Says NAB chairman committed a mistake by issuing the press release
Lahore (Pakistan Point News – 10th May, 2018) Renowned journalist Hamid Mir has said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) committed a mistake in issuing a press release claiming that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif transferred money to India.
According to a news report published in a local newspaper, Mir said that the bureau should admit to this mistake. He said that the reasons stated in the press release are upsetting, and added that NAB issued a press release to initiate an investigation against Sharif for laundering money to India over a published column.
He said that instead of resolving the matter, NAB has given birth to further questions with this press release. The journalist said that the intentions of the NAB chairman cannot be doubted; however, he has committed a mistake and he should accept it.
He further said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s demand to call the NAB chairman to the Parliament is unnecessary as he wants to proof that NAB is being used against a specific political party.
Mir said that the NAB chairman should take back the press release after admitting his mistake.
Meanwhile, NAB clarified earlier that its press release about money laundering was based on a media report titled "When the Laundered Money Will be Returned?" published in Daily Ausaf on February 1, 2018. The column Zavia-e-Nigah was written by Muhammad Tausif ul Haq Siddiqi," a NAB press release said.
The alleged media report categorically refers World Bank's Migration and Remittance Fact Book Report 2016 alleging the sending of $4.9 billion to India. "According to alleged media report former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, former finance minister Ishaq Dar, former governor State Bank of Pakistan, Ashraf Wathra, former deputy governor State Bank Saeed Ahmed were allegedly involved in money laundering of $4.9 billion from country's foreign reserves." Their special man Saeed Ahmed transferred the aforementioned money to Indian exchequer via Dubai. Consequently Pakistan's foreign reserves were dwindled and Indian foreign Currency reserves were enhanced.
This was allegedly unearthed during detailed audit of State Bank's Head office 's Foreign currency reserves, the press release said. The World Bank's comprehensive report titled Migration and Remittance Book 2016, is available online. "NAB has decided to conduct complaint verification on the basis of alleged money laundering to India on the basis of alleged media report as the complaint verification of money laundering is under the purview of NAB," the press release said and added, "NAB was conducting the verification as per law. NAB out rightly rejects the impression of revenge or hurting anyone as NAB does not believe in revenge and determined to eliminate corruption without any discrimination."
