Zulfi Bukhari rejects possibility of stepping down as PM’s special adviser

RAWALPINDI: Prime Minister's Special Adviser on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari appeared before officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday.

Bukhari appeared before officials at the NAB office in Rawalpindi in a probe pertaining to his offshore companies.

A three-member NAB team is probing Bukhari on DG NAB Irfan Manghi’s directives.

Earlier as he arrived at the NAB office, Bukhari was questioned by journalists.

When asked whether the NAB prosecutor had stepped down owing to an altercation with him, the PM’s special adviser said, “There can be no bigger lie than this. I don’t even know the NAB prosecutor.”

Responding to a question whether he will resign over the case ongoing against him in the Supreme Court, Bukhari said, “Of the two ministers who have tendered their resignations, one had a reference ongoing against him and a joint investigation team (JIT) had been formed against the other minister. Mine is a dual nationality case and the Supreme Court will announce a decision on it.”

NAB had initiated an inquiry against Bukhari after his name appeared in the Panama Papers as he owns six offshore companies.

Bukhari had in 2016 defended having offshore companies and said that it was “legal and common practice for companies & businessmen like myself to establish commercial entities in different jurisdictions.”