Not in London to probe Sharif family, says NAB prosecutor general

LONDON: The prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Waqas Qadeer Dar, has termed as “ridiculous” and “frivolous” media reports that he is in London to investigate or collect evidence in relation to the NAB references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his children involving four Avenfield flats.

Media reports said on Wednesday that Dar reached London on Wednesday afternoon to record statements of important witnesses and collect evidence of properties belonging to Nawaz's family, but the NAB prosecutor general expressed his dismay at the “fabricated and irresponsible reporting" in an interview. 

He said he was in London in his official capacity, but to deal with an “altogether different official matter which has nothing to do with the NAB cases against Nawaz Sharif and his children”.

“It’s wholly incorrect to say that I am part of the NAB team that’s in London to investigate the matters related to references against Nawaz Sharif, Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and Captain Safdar. The reporters didn’t do their job honestly and just made news out of nothing. I am NAB’s prosecutor general and not an investigator. My job brief relates to prosecution, not investigation,” he said.

Dar said that he will send a legal notice to the media houses which ran the baseless news about him to create sensationalism. This is unfortunate when reporters don’t do their homework properly and run baseless news and create false impressions and ruin reputations, he added.

NAB has written letters to UK authorities for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) seeking details of the Sharif family's Avenfield flats, but the UK government has not responded to Pakistan.

Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, who left his charge earlier on the completion of his tenure as chairman NAB, had approved the constitution of the team to investigate cases against Sharif family and their properties. The team has applied for visas and after approval, it will leave for London to record the statements of Hussain Nawaz Sharif and Hassan Nawaz Sharif.

NAB sources have said that the three members have yet not been issued visas. The decision on whether or not the team will visit London will be taken when visas are obtained.