PML-N asks NAB to take up references against Shaukat
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Naveed Ahsan had committed a serious crime by not taking action on two references against former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for their involvement in wheat scandal and appointment of over 500 officers from grade 17 to 21.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s media center on Wednesday, spokesman of PML-N, Muhammad Siddiqul Farooq said he had moved two references against Shaukat Aziz and Pervaiz Elahi, the then food minister Sikandar Bosan, Dr Salman Shah and others on Jan 13 and Feb 3 demanding that they should be tried for their involvement in wheat scandal and appointing over 500 officers in different grades.
He regretted that the failure of NAB chairman to act on his references had paved the way for reelection of those who pocketed billions of rupees from the wheat scandal and dealt a loss of Rs 84 billion to the exchequer. He said if the NAB chief had taken prompt action on his references, these corrupt politicians would not have staged a comeback in the Feb 18 elections to hinder restoration of the constitution and democracy in the country.
Farooque said if the NAB chief failed to clear his position within seven days, he would resort to a legal course of action against him. Farooque said that Ahsan was appointed to the post by the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz in collusion with the PML-Q leadership and President Musharraf in violation of the April 24, 2001 decision of the Supreme Court.
“The apparent reason for not taking action on my references seems to be that Naveed Ahsan was appointed to block filing of new references against the PML-Q leaders and clear them of the charges leveled in the already filed references against them,” he said. In the first reference moved on Jan 13, he had sought action against Shaukat Aziz, Pervaiz Elahi, Sikandar Bosan, Dr Salman Shah for their involvement in wheat crisis dealing a loss of Rs 84 billion to the exchequer.
The second reference pertained to illegal appointments of over 500 officers, including Principal Secretary GM Sikandar, chief secretaries Hafiz Akhtar Randhawa, Kamran Rasul, Salman Siddique, to rig the Feb 18 elections in favor of PML-Q candidates, intimidate the candidates of rival parties and protect the financial and political interest of the top PML-Q leaders.
He also dispatched a copy of the Jan 18 interview of Pervaiz Elahi to the NAB chairman in which he blamed Shaukat Aziz for importing 2, 50,00,000 maund wheat at the rate $200 and accepted his own role in sale of 1, 25,000 maund and hoarding and smuggling of 500,00,000 maund each wheat from the Punjab government’s godowns.
He said in this interview Elahi also indirectly admitted to his involvement in appointment of over 500 officers. Farooque reminded the NAB chief that his crime fell within the purview of Section 9 of the NAB Ordinance punishable under its Section 10.
Farooque said in the two references he had asked NAB chief to order immediate arrest of the accused, seizure of record, passports and bank accounts, putting their names on the ECL and calling back the absconding Shaukat Aziz through Interpol.