The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday told the Lahore High Court that a complaint filed against former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and others would be taken up in the next meeting of the bureau's board. A division bench was hearing a petition seeking court orders requiring NAB to file a reference against Gilani and others on charges of defrauding a Pakistani of US origin named Sikandar Iqbal.
Iqbal contended that he visited Pakistan in 1993 to install a 116-megawatt power plant. He alleged that Gilani, who was then the speaker of the National Assembly, and his relatives "became share holders in the project". The petitioner also alleged that Gilani and others had fraudulently deprived him of $116 million, adding that the power plant was never installed. The petitioner said that he had filed an application with NAB, but it took no action. During the course of hearing, NAB's counsel stated that the complaint filed by the petitioner would be taken up in the next meeting of the bureau's board to decide whether a reference could be filed against the accused. The bench later adjourned the case till the next meeting of NAB's board.