LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in his reply submitted before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has pleaded "not guilty" in the issuance of liquor licence case contending that he played no role in the issuance of the licence as it falls under the jurisdiction of the director general of the Excise and Taxation Department.

Last week, the anti-graft watchdog had handed over a questioner to the chief minister after he failed to clarify his position and sought time for a "suitable reply" in the liquor licence and possessing assets beyond means cases. In the questioner, NAB had asked 17 questions about the assets of CM Buzdar and his family members and his role in the issuance of the liquor licence.

In his four-page reply submitted before the NAB, the CM maintained that no illegal activity was committed in the matter pertaining to the licence. The reply was submitted through Buzdar's consul Advocate Obaidullah. "I played no part in the issuance of the liquor licence as it falls under the jurisdiction of the director general of the Excise and Taxation Department. A total of 11 liquor licences have been issued to date, nine of which were issued by the Excise and Taxation Department DG, while two licences were issued by the governor in 2000 and 2001," the reply quoted the CM as saying.

Sources said the chief minister claimed that (former) Excise and Taxation DG Akram Ashraf Gondal's summary pertaining to the licence was sent back by his office as he did not have the authority to issue the licence. The DG then sent the summary again to the CM secretariat after issuing the licence, and the principle secretary sent it back yet again owing to the absence of a relevant forum, Buzdar told NAB.

According to the CM, the excise and taxation minister had suspended the liquor licence of the hotel in question and Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court in 2019 had given directives to restore the liquor licence while the verdict on the intra-court appeal (ICA) against the single-bench's decision remains pending.

"Not a single liquor bottle has been sold against the licence issued to the private hotel that has also filed an application for the renewal of its licence," a source claimed, quoting the reply.

On August 6, the NAB had summoned CM Buzdar for allegedly receiving Rs50 million in 'bribe' to force the excise and taxation department to 'illegally' issue a liquor licence to a private hotel. The hotel, which is under construction near the Lahore airport and owned by an "influential" person, without obtain 4/5 star rating from the Punjab Tourist Services Department required under the Pakistan Hotels and Restaurant Act 1976 had applied to the excise and taxation department for an L-2 liquor licence.

In 2009, the chief minister's office had issued a policy under which an L-2 liquor licence could only be issued to hotels having a 4/5 star rating. However, the excise and taxation department issued the licence to the hotel in 2019 in violation of the 2009 policy as it had not acquired 4/5 star rating.

NAB claims that according to its sources the licence was issued to the hotel despite the excise and taxation department referring the matter to the chief minister's office thrice, informing Buzdar that the move was in violation of the 2009 policy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020