Joint NAB team interrogates its chief Qamar Zaman in NICL case

ISLAMABAD: A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team has started a probe into the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) case as per the order of the Supreme Court (SC).

Former Secretary Establishment Abdul Rauf Chaudhry and Former Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry (now NAB chairman), appeared before the team and denied all charges levelled against them.

Pleading innocence, they said they did not create any hurdles in probe into the NICL case.Former Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Malik Muhammad also appeared before the team.

It was the first time that the NAB chairman appeared before his subordinates. The investigation team has also issued notice to former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to appear before it on Wednesday.

Gilani was thrice summoned for investigation into the case of OGRA but he did not appear. Sources said said Gilani refused to appear in this case, he could be arrested. “We have to submit report to the Supreme Court (SC) and any one needed in the investigation will be arrested if he doesn’t appear before the team,” a senior official of the NAB said.

The combined investigations team comprises NAB investigators, representatives of the police and SECP. It investigated the accused for more than two hours each and also sought written reply to the allegations leveled against them.

“Both the former bureaucrats and chairman NAB faced the tough time during their separate appearances before the Joint Investigation Team that has adopted a strict posture while putting the questions before them,” sources said.Investigation team also issued notice to the former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Khushnood Akhter Lashari but he did not appear.