Chaudhry Shujaat, Pervaiz Elahi record statements with NAB Lahore

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi appeared before a three-member National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team on Monday. 

The Chaudhry cousins from Gujrat are facing inquiries of allegedly owning assets that are disproportionate to their known sources of income. 

NAB summoned the PML-Q leaders for investigations which were started 12 years ago — before the tenure of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who they were allied with.

Later, Elahi while speaking at a press conference said that he has informed everything to the anti-graft body and told them that he is ready to appear before them again.

“I am not scared of investigations. This is not new for us, as during the Bhutto government, my family faced 135 cases,” he said, “I have always respected institutions.”

The PML-Q leader said that he has faced three murder cases in his political life which were made with malicious intent.

Responding to a question, he said that it is up to his lawyers to see how similar his case is with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s. 

Shujaat has briefly remained prime minister of Pakistan in 2004 while his cousin, Elahi, was chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007.

Before joining Gen (retd) Musharraf's government, they were associated with the PML-Nawaz. 

Dar's sons no-show 

Meanwhile, according to a NAB spokesperson, sons of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had also been summoned today but they did not appear.   

Hasnain Dar and Ali Dar, sons of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, were summoned today to give their response to the ongoing investigations against their father.

Dar is facing a NAB reference, which alleges that “the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests / resources in his own name and / or in the name of his dependants of an approximate amount of Rs831.678 million (approx).”

The reference also alleged that the finance minister's assets were also 'disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Sources said NAB will again send notices to Dar's sons for appearance.