Bilawal refuses to appear before NAB despite Summoned

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has refused  to appear before NAB tomorrow (Tuesday)

Chairman PPP Bilawal despite being summoned, has refused  to appear before NAB tomorrow (Tuesday)

NAB Rawalpindi has 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 Bilawal  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.

Why NAB has summoned Bilawal?

The watchdog is probing into a transfer of Rs1.22 billion to JV Opal from an account of Zardari Group of Companies.

NAB says he was the CEO of the Zardari Group in 2011

However Bilawal says he was not in Pakistan from 2011 to 2012 and therefore was not the CEO.

Several political leaders arrested after not appearing before NAB when summoned.

Bilawal owns 25% shares in Zardari Group.

His father and PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, and aunt, Faryal Talpur, also have shares in the business enterprise.

Read More: IHC grants bail to Faryal Talpur in fake accounts case

Also Read: IHC grants bail to Asif Ali Zardari

Both Zardari and Talpur among the key accused in a multi-billion rupees money laundering scandal that surfaced last year and are facing multiple corruption references at accountability courts.

Both the siblings have been recently granted bail after months’ long incarceration.

Some of the most prominent include former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, 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.