NAB orders closure of investigation against Pervaiz Elahi

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday approved closing the investigation against Speaker of the Punjab Assembly and PML-Q leader, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

The decision was made during a meeting of the anti-graft watchdog's executive board presided over by NAB Chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.

According to a statement issued by NAB, the executive board meeting green-signaled the closure of the probe into Elahi.

The investigation was concluded due to lack of evidence in the case, the statement added.

Read more: NAB accuses Chaudhry brothers of money laundering, accumulating illegal assets

The anti-corruption body had in July, earlier this year, accused PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, of accumulating illegal assets and money laundering.

Responding to the Chaudhry brothers' petition at the LHC against 20-year-old inquiries by the NAB, the watchdog had said Elahi and his family members' wealth has shot up to Rs4.06 billion while Hussain and his family members' wealth rose to Rs 2.55 billion from 1985 to 2018.

The NAB had said the two accused were asked to submit assets pro-forma and explain how their and their family’s wealth increased and given several extensions but failed to do so. According to the bureau's report, the evidence connected the petitioners with offences of corruption and corrupt practices.

Also read: Reference against Parvez Elahi sent for approval, NAB tells LHC

On the other hand, the PML-Q leaders — allies of the PTI-led government — had alleged in their petition that the NAB was being used for political engineering and old cases against them were being repeatedly opened and closed.

They had further stressed that the NAB's then-chairperson had in 2000 authorised the investigation against them on the allegations of misuse of authority, assets beyond means, and willful default under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

All three investigations were recommended for closure by the NAB's investigating officers and regional board during 2017 and 2018 when the regime of political arch-rivals was in place, they had said.