Federal Minister Hints To Reopen Swiss Cases Against Asif Zardari

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that the Broadsheet Commission has pointed out the Swiss cases and on the basis of the documents, the cases of the Swiss accounts against Asif Ali Zardari may be reopened.

Briefing the media after the meeting of the federal cabinet, referring to relations with India, Fawad Chaudhry said “We still want to move forward in cooperation, friendship and economy with India, but our first condition for India will be to return to the August 5 position on Kashmir.”

He said that the second important decision was taken by the Cabinet with reference to COVID-19. Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world competing for Corona which has been cited as an example. The steps we have taken at the airport and at the domestic level are unprecedented in the world.

He said that the government of Pakistan is trying to fight the third wave of Coronavirus in the same systematic manner as the first two waves.

Today, the cabinet made an important decision regarding two vaccines. 98% of Pakistanis are vaccinated free of cost by the government of Pakistan with its own money or through donations.

The federal minister said the private sector had been allowed to import vaccines for the two per cent who did not want to queue but could not be allowed to return. At present, two vaccines, Russian-made Sputnik and Chinese CanSino have been imported.

He said that there was a dispute over the price of Sputnik and the matter was pending in the Sindh High Court. As soon as the final verdict of the court came, the price would be fixed and the price of CanSino has been fixed at Rs 4,225.

He said that the cabinet had approved the issuance of health cards in Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad and fixed new prices for 43 medicines but no increase in the price of any medicine.

He said that it was also decided to improve the performance of the bureaucracy, the process of expelling incompetent bureaucrats has been made easier and the Prime Minister has directed to look into their respective departments.

‘Broadsheet Commission identifies Swiss accounts’

He said that the report of the Broad Commission has been released and the Cabinet has ordered immediate criminal action against 5 people, including Ahmar Bilal Sufi and Hassan Saqib Sheikh, who are currently in FBR, Ghulam. Rasool, who was the Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Law, Abdul Basit, the former Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Shahid Ali Baig, then the Director of Audit and Accounts at the London Embassy, ​​and action will be taken against Tariq Fawad Malik who signed the agreement.

He said that the commission in its report has named these 5 persons as the main accused, besides pointing out that the period from 2011 to 2017 has been declared as the darkest period of NAB, at that time Qamar Zaman and others. Due to the criminal negligence of the prosecutor, the Swiss accounts and their documents disappeared and people did not even know.

He said that according to the recommendations of the commission, the criminal liability of Qamar Zaman and other senior officials of NAB at that time would be determined and Asif Zardari and other leaders of PPP were acquitted at that time because NAB had Swiss accounts.

Fawad Chaudhry said that now the government has the original record regarding Swiss accounts and on the basis of this Swiss accounts cases can be reopened against former President Asif Ali Zardari and for this our legal experts are reviewing.

He said that the commission had said that wasting or concealing evidence was a criminal act and therefore criminal action was being taken against the then Director General NAB and Prosecutor General and others.

The Federal Minister said that action has also been ordered against those responsible for those involved in the sugar scandal. According to the decisions given under the Petroleum Crisis Report, Nadeem Babar has been removed from the office up to Forensic and Three administrative, criminal and legal actions are now allowed.

He said that in terms of administration, the officers of Directorate General of Oil, Port Qasim Authority would be sacked and professionals would be appointed and a monitoring cell would be set up in the Petroleum Division.

Also Read

Broadsheet commission report: Record of $1.5mn payment missing

It has been revealed on Monday that the record of the $...