LAHORE (NNI): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday again summoned former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif in Saaf Pani scandal.
According to a private television channel report, the anti-graft watchdog again summoned Shehbaz Sharif on July 5 in Saaf Paani scam.
It is pertinent here to mention that the PML-N president had failed to appear before the Bureau’s investigation team.
The ant-graft agency had sent a 17-point notice to ex-Punjab CM in which the allegations against him were mentioned.
In a letter, Shehbaz Sharif was asked that he had no authority to form a company before having permanent solution for provision of clean drinking water.
The letter further stated that without studying project and proposals, he ordered to form Saaf Pani Company, while other options for provision of clean drinking water were ignored.
Earlier, PML-N leader and candidate against Ch Nisar from NA-59 Engineer Qamrul Islam and Saaf Pani’s ex-chief executive officer Waseem Ajmal were sent on physical remand until July 9.
The suspects were produced before the National Accountabulity Bureau (NAB) court. During the hearing, NAB adopted stance that the accused are involved in corruption worth millions of rupees. The court was requested to approve the physical remand of the suspects.
Qamarul Islam’s lawyer opposed the plea and said that NAB’s entire operation is only based on accusations as they neither received any corruption petition nor possess any evidence against his client.
The lawyer maintained that Qamarul Islam is contesting election against Nisar and is being subjected to political victimization.
As the arguments concluded, the court while approving the request of NAB granted the physical remand of the suspects.
Later, talking to media, Qamarul Islam asserted that he will receive votes even if he is in the jail.
Both the suspects were detained a day before by NAB. NAB said that Qamarul Islam had awarded contract of 84 water treatment plants unlawfully while water plants in four Tehsils have been mentioned costly in bidding papers based on dishonesty.
According to NAB, the accused had awarded contract to SB Pumps Company and KSB Pumps Company on high rates, and got contract of 102 water plants contract approved from board of directors.
On the other hand, accused Waseem Ajmal is facing allegations of tampering in documents of Saaf Pani project after bidding, which is a violation of Punjab Procurement Regulation 2014.
The anti-graft watchdog asserted that former CEO Saaf Pani Company installed eight filtration plants illegally in Tehsil Dunyapur and the money was acquired for office that was not established.