NAB summons Shehbaz again as he fails to appear in Saaf Pani corruption case
Shehbaz Sharif summoned again on June 25
June 04, 2018
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif failed to appear before National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Monday) in an inquiry pertaining to Saaf Pani Company scam.
In the hearing today, Shehbaz Sharif’s representative Amir Afzal appeared before the probe body and explained the PML-N president’s work engagements.
The NAB subsequently adjourned the hearing, summoning Shehbaz Sharif again on June 25.
Shehbaz has been summoned over illegal appointments in the said company, a NAB source told Geo News earlier.
The source also said that Shehbaz had been directed to bring along all relevant financial records of the company, including the salary records of officers.
The Punjab government established the company to conceive, plan, design, execute and manage projects for the provision of safe drinking water, in terms of both access and quality, to the communities living in unserved and underserved areas i.e. rural and peri-urban areas of the province.
Former Punjab finance minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha and Waheed Gul, Shehbaz’ son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf and Hamza Shehbaz have also appeared before the anti-graft body in the case.
Saaf Pani Company case
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on April 7 had given a day to the Punjab Saaf Pani Company chief executive officer (CEO) and the provincial government to submit the complete record, including salaries, perks and privileges of the entire staff and vehicles provided to them to perform their duties.
The apex court had taken a suo motu notice of a plethora of public welfare cases last month.
The chief justice had expressed serious concern over the exorbitant salary and benefits packages of the company’s officials and the money being paid to foreign consultants for water projects.
Advocate General Punjab Shakilur Rehman Khan had pleaded the bench for time for preparing detailed and comprehensive reports on the company and its performance.
During the proceedings, the chief justice had also asked the CEO about his salary, who had noted his compensation was Rs1.4 million per month including all perks and privileges.
The chief justice had also questioned the non-utilisation of government officers for the post and wondered why taxpayers’ money was being wasted.
