Fake bank accounts case: NAB interrogates Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah

Murad has been summoned to record his statement before the accountability watchdog in the case.

KARACHI (Dunya News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday summoned Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for interrogating him in an ongoing investigation into the fake bank accounts case, in which Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father Asif Ali Zardari were investigated on March 20 and handed over a written questionnaire.

Other PPP leaders including, Nayyar Bukhari, Qamar Zaman, Nasir Shah and Murtaza Wahab accompanied him to the bureau’s office in Islamabad.

He spoke to the media after his appearance in the bureau, and said he was interrogated for one and a half hours. He asserted that he had nothing to conceal and denounced a report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the same case.

Murad has been summoned to record his statement before the accountability watchdog in connection with an ongoing investigation into the fake bank accounts’ case, and he would also be handed over a written questionnaire. The high-up appeared at NAB old headquarters on Monday where Director General Irfan Manghi has recorded his statement. The DG NAB Manghi has contacted the district administration and sought additional security measures at the NAB office. On March 21, the NAB Rawalpindi had summoned Murad in a case related to awarding subsidy of billions of rupees to OMNI Group sugar mills in Sindh’s Thatta and Dadu. The accountability bureau has further directed the chief minister to bring along all records pertaining to the Sakrand, Khoski, Pangrio and Thatta Sugar Mills. On March 20, the NAB interrogated Zardari and Bilawal in three cases including, Park Lane Estate reference, and handed over questionnaires comprising 54 questions each to them. A carcade of 19 vehicles accompanied PPP leadership’s visit to the NAB. Outside NAB’s office, party workers clashed with the security personnel after the former tried to force their way inside. Effective security measures were taken by police, and a heavy contingent of 550 officers was deployed around the bureau’s office in Rawalpindi. However, this time more than 1,000 officers are expected to be deployed around the bureau’s office. NAB had issued notices to Murad to appear on March 26. He, however, had requested if he could appear a day earlier. His request has been approved. The Supreme Court had formed an investigation team to probe the fake accounts case. The team submitted a report in which it named 172 people, including former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister MNA Faryal Talpur and son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.