ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday again sought time from the Accountability Court for filing much-awaited reference against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal Sports City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam.
The Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case, asked the NAB to file a reference against Iqbal during the next hearing to be held on September 22nd.
The NAB prosecutor told the court that the NAB Rawalpindi had sent the final draft of the reference to the bureau's headquarters for approval.
The anti-graft body would immediately file the reference before the court after approval, he further said.
Iqbal's counsel Tariq Jahangir said that the NAB had arrested his client but so far failed to file a reference against him.
Iqbal had been sent to jail and also physical remand granted to the NAB against him, he said, despite court order the chairman NAB could not explain that why bureau did not file the reference.
Defence counsel said that the NAB only arrested people and was doing nothing.
He also produced statements of government ministers before the court and requested the court to make it a part of the court record.
Ministers have repeatedly said that cases have been delayed due to court but the fact is that it takes one year to file a reference, he said.
The court observed that if Iqbal wants, then he should not appear before it, till filing of reference.
The court approved the NAB requested and adjourned hearing till September 22nd.
Iqbal, while talking to media after before the court, said about rejection of two Financial Action Task Force (FATF) related bills by the opposition that the opposition in the Senate has not defeated FATF but they thwarted government attempt to bulldoze the system and impose arbitrary laws.
We would not allow turning Pakistan into a fascist state in the name of the FATF; he said adding that "we would not allow Imran Khan to become Hitler."
The PML-N leader said that the opposition joined hands with the government regarding FATF related matter very sincerely but at the last stage the government backtracked from the amendments proposed by the opposition in these FATF related bills.
Opposition parties will not oppose the legislation aimed it protection of the national interest, he said.
He said that the experiment of bringing the PTI would also fail like the convention League and the Q-League.
We believe that the army and the military institutions have nothing to do with these revengeful activities, he further said.
According to the NAB, the record collected so far revealed that instead of getting approval of the Central Development Working Party, the scope of the NSCCP was substantially altered, Iqbal accorded approval on his own and approved the same with mala fide intentions without taking the matter before the CDWP.
The NAB says that NSCCP was initiated without any feasibility study in violation of Planning Commission Development Manual regarding feasibility of new developmental projects.
It was necessary to prepare feasibility study of projects costing more than Rs50 million, and Iqbal enhanced the scope with mala fide intention by directing the design consultants of the NSCCP.
"Later on, revised PC-1 costing Rs2,498.779 million was prepared and scope was enhanced manifolds and subsequently it was approved by CDWP headed by Iqbal on July 17, 2014. Likewise the 2nd revised PC-1 costing Rs2,994.329 million was prepared and was approved by CDWP on May 3, 2017," it said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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