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NAB takes notice of Fawad Ch’s statement about Aleem Khan’s release

NAB takes notice of Fawad Ch’s statement about Aleem Khan’s release
April 13, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken notice of the statement of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry about the release of PTI leader Aleem Khan. According to a NAB declaration, it has been decided to review the past and recent statements of Fawad Ch about the NAB. The NAB will also look into the matter that whether the statements are an attempt to affect or interfere in the matters/investigations of the NAB. “After reviewing the minister’s all statements about the NAB, it will be decided whether the statements were violation of the prescribed law or not,” the declaration stated. It added that the NAB could take action against Fawad Ch if violation of law was found. It also said that the NAB is the biggest institution working for recovering the money looted from the country. “The NAB has no link with a political party, an individual or a group. It has proved the fact through its act.” The declaration also stated that the NAB has the first and last affiliation with the state of Pakistan. “The NAB has always believed in dispensing its duties as per the law and the constitution,” it concluded.
‘If people devouring billions can get bail why a businessman not’
Earlier on Saturday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while defending PTI leader Aleem Khan, said that if people devouring billions of rupees are getting bail then why a businessmen cannot get the bail. In a tweet, he said that Aleem Khan who was a businessman and had no allegations of causing losses to the national exchequer should be granted bail if people who had devoured billions of rupees were able to secure bail with such ease. “Aleem Khan’s case is less serious.” Fawad Chaudhry said that the general perception was that Aleem Khan was being punished for a crime he did not commit just because of the noise created by the opposition. On Feb 6, Aleem Khan was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials in Lahore. As per a press release issued by NAB Lahore, Khan was arrested for owning assets beyond his known sources of income. The information minister's tweet appeared to be a reaction to court decisions to grant various opposition party leaders bail in the past week. On Thursday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had suspended the life sentence handed to PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi in 2018 in the ephedrine quota case, ordering his release on bail. On Wednesday the same court had granted Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz pre-arrest bail till April 17 in the Ramzan Sugar Mills and Saaf Pani Company cases. The same day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had extended the interim bail given to former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in the fake bank accounts case till April 29.