PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Thursday fixed January 10 for indictment of former federal minister Dr Arbab Alamgir and his wife Asma Alamgir, a former MNA, in a reference accusing them of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

ATC Judge Ishtiaq Ahmad provided copies of the reference filed by National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to the couple. Arbab Alamgir and Asma Alamgir turned up before the court amidst tight security.

NAB has alleged that both the suspects accumulated assets to the tune of Rs332 million, which were disproportionate to their known sources of income. The couple, belonging to Pakistan People’s Party, claimed innocence and stated that all their assets were acquired through known sources.

Arbab Alamgir, Asma Alamgir claim innocence in NAB reference

NAB alleged that during investigation, it was revealed that both of the suspects accumulated huge assets worth millions of rupees disproportionate to their income. As per the reference, the inquiry was authorised on November 4, 2015 that was subsequently converted into investigation with the approval of NAB executive board on January 12, 2018.

NAB alleged that during investigation, it surfaced that the suspects accumulated movable and immovable assets including a house in G-11/3 Islamabad; 10-kanal land at Mauza Shah Alladitta, Islamabad; a bungalow in F-7/2 Islamabad; prize bonds; a land rover vehicle and several bank transactions.

NAB claimed that the reference was pertaining to the assets in Pakistan whereas supplementary reference regarding their foreign assets would be filed after receipt of documentary evidence through Mutual Legal Assistance from foreign countries.

On November 8, 2018, Peshawar High Court had disposed of a writ petition filed by Asma Alamgir against issuance of frequent call-up notices to her by NAB.

She had stated that neither NAB was filing a reference, nor it was clearing her of the charges. She had claimed that the said inquiry had been in progress for around four years.

The court had directed NAB to complete the ongoing inquiry against her within 45 days.

Following the court hearing, Asma Alamgir, who remained adviser to the then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, said that she was innocent due to same reason she herself approached Peshawar High Court for filing of the reference at the earliest.

“We are not against accountability, but victimising people in the name of accountability is not justice,” she said. She added that they would support impartial, across the board and transparent accountability mechanism.

She said that NAB should check their family fortune since creation of Pakistan in 1947. She said that in a four year long inquiry, NAB could not prove any wrong doing against them. She reposed trust in the courts and hoped that they would be provided with justice.

Asma Alamgir said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was also holding portfolio of interior minister and placed their names on Exit Control List. She asked as to why Imran Khan had not been placing the name of his sister Aleema Khan on ECL as it was proved that she possessed illegal assets.

She questioned as to why NAB had been delaying filing of references against former chief minister Pervez Khattak and present Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, who were suspected of wrong doings in a land lease at Malam Jabba.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2019