Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to grant him an extension for his appearance, stating that medical professionals had “advised him to restrict his movements due to life threatening risks associated with Covid-19” as he was a cancer survivor.
NAB had summoned Shehbaz on April 17 (today), asking him furnish the complete details of his foreign assets and other businesses in a money laundering case.
In a fresh questionnaire sent to Shehbaz, NAB had said multiple call up notices, along with questionnaires, were issued to the PML-N leader but his replies were found “unsatisfactory, incomplete and evasive”.
Shehbaz was also asked to provide the complete details of his business income as claimed before the Federal Board of Revenue, along with investment and its volume and expenditures incurred during the period when his Model Town residence was declared the chief minister house/camp office.
In a reply submitted to the bureau today, Shehbaz said he had been questioned “at great length about his entire career and assets while in NAB’s custody on physical remand” and “furnished whatever information was sought and was available”.
“All call up notices were replied [to] within the [given] time and full cooperation was extended, including personal appearances.”
Shehbaz said “it was unfortunate that the call up notice described the replies as unsatisfactory, incomplete and evasive”.
He added that all his assets were on record and he had been regularly updating the concerned authorities about his assets.
Commenting on his reason for not appearing, Shehbaz said: “I am a 69-year-old cancer survivor due to which I have low immunity. Medical professionals have advised me to restrict movement and limit exposure due to life threatening risks associated with Covid-19.”
He added that the data required by NAB is also unavailable due to the lockdown.
In 2018, medical experts had told on the condition of anonymity that years go Shehbaz was treated for appendicular adenocarcinoma (a cancerous tumour).
According to his medical reports that had surfaced at the time, Shehbaz was said to be suffering from a kidney infection, a lymph node in his chest and had chances of his cancer resurfacing.
