Bilawal Bhutto not to appear before NAB

Karachi: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto will not be appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Tuesday).

NAB Rawalpindi had summoned him for investigations in the fake accounts case.

According to his lawyer, Farooq H Naek, he has submitted his written reply to NAB’s questions and will not be appearing before it. He is, however, in Islamabad.

NAB rejected the previous reply the PPP chairperson had submitted to its questions. It warned him of action under the NAB Ordinance if he does not appear before it, but he has decided not to go.

NAB says he was the CEO of the Zardari Group in 2011 but Bilawal says he was not in Pakistan from 2011 to 2012 and therefore was not the CEO.

Several political leaders have been arrested after not appearing before NAB when summoned. Some of the most prominent include former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was arrested on the motorway, and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, who was arrested while visiting her incarcerated father at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Both leaders had only missed a single NAB summons.

Meanwhile, the government has refused the permission to hold public rally at Liaqat Bagh Rawalpindi on the martyrdom anniversary of Benazir Bhutto.

Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the spokesman to the Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto, said that that the public rally on martyrdom anniversary will take place at Liaqat Bagh at any cost.

He said the PPP will approach the courts for holding the rally at Liaqat Bagh on the martyrdom anniversary of Benazir Bhutto.