The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari on December 13, a private TV channel reported.
According to NAB spokesperson Nawazish Ali Asim, the notice has been sent in pursuance of a case regarding Park Lane Estates (Pvt) Limited, a Karachi-based real estate firm.Bilawal’s name is among the shareholders of the company.
While confirming the report, senior party leader Farhatullah Babar said Bilawal received a notice from NAB Rawalpindi, however his legal counsel Farooq H Naek will appear before the anti-graft watchdog instead of the PPP chairman.
“A team of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s lawyers will appear before NAB Rawalpindi on Dec 13,” said Bilawal’s spokesman, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, in a statement issued later.
The executive board of the NAB on May 23 had approved an investigation against the Capital Development Authority officials for allegedly allotting land belonging to Punjab Forest Department to Park Lane Estates (Pvt) Limited. The firm was previously owned by Zardari, Bilawal and a few others.
Zardari will be questioned by the NAB regarding his sources of income when he established the company and Bilawal will be asked to provide details of funds used to obtain shares in the company, the spokesperson said.
Bilawal was previously served two notices by a joint investigation team formed by the Supreme Court to probe alleged laundering through fake bank accounts in connivance with bankers and others to several suspected beneficiaries, including ex-president Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur.
Published in Daily Times, December 10th 2018.
