ISLAMABAD, May 16 (TNS): Accepting the request submitted by NAB representative Irfan Naeem Mangi, the NA committee asked the chairman to appear before it on May 22.
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice had summoned Chairman NAB to appear before it to clarify the issue of initiation of a controversial inquiry against deposed premier Nawaz Sharif by the bureau into allegations of alleged money laundering to India.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had opposed the committee’s decision to summon the chairman, with their lawmakers arguing that Iqbal had done nothing wrong by ordering an inquiry into the allegations.
Meanwhile, Minister for State Tallal Chaudhry explained that the purpose of summoning the chairman was not to disrespect anyone but to find out what the procedure of issuing a press release is.
The NA committee, headed by a PML-N lawmaker from Sahiwal, Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf, had summoned the NAB chief hours after the issue was raised by Rana Hayat Khan while speaking on a point of order in the house. The matter had been referred to the committee by former law minister Zahid Hamid, who was presiding over the session at that time.
On May 8, NAB released a press statement announcing to initiate a complain verification against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for money laundering US$4.9 billion to India. After the controversy arises, the NAB on May 9 released another press release saying it had treated a three-month old column of a writer published in a daily Urdu newspaper as a complaint against Sharif. In column, the writer has alleged that Sharif is involved in money laundering.
