Govt intensifies search for Rs300 bn proceeds of Sharifs’ corruption

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has intensified efforts to dig up substantial evidence of the alleged corruption, kickbacks and commissions of the Sharifs, whom the ruling party has accused in the past of plundering Rs300 billion of public money.

Both the PTI-led federal and Punjab governments have geared up to find proof of corruption by the Sharifs. Not only has the forensic audit of some of the key projects of the past Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government already been ordered, but of late Prime Minister Imran Khan indicated that all mega-projects of the last government would be scrutinised.

The PTI government’s top accountability adviser, Barrister Shahzad Akhar, confirmed to The News that the forensic audit of all such mega-projects of the last government is being undertaken. However, he insisted that the government’s accountability drive is not personality-specific, but is directed against all those who have held public office and faced accusations of corruption.

Akbar said that the asset recovery unit of the government constituted under him would review the cases of all those who have unexplained assets inside or outside Pakistan, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “The Sharifs are not the focus, but they are included among those being probed,” he said.

Although the PTI in recent years has accused Nawaz Sharif of allegedly looting Rs300 billion of the nation's wealth, no explanation has ever offered about the source of this figure. Even Akbar did not confirm the authenticity of this enormous sum.

It was not cited in the Panama Papers disclosures, or by the joint investigation team (JIT) constituted by the Supreme Court to probe the Sharifs' offshore companies, or in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference filed against Nawaz Sharif and his children. The probes by the Panama Papers JIT and the NAB also did not uncover any evidence of commission or kickbacks by the Sharifs.

The Accountability Court which, in a controversial decision, convicted Nawaz Sharif, Maryum Nawaz and Capt ® Safdar, had also acquitted the three of the charge of making money through corruption.

In such a scenario, and in view of how the PTI has been pointing fingers at the Sharifs, the Imran Khan government is keenly trying to dig up evidence of alleged corruption through kickbacks and commissions by Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, the former Punjab chief minister.

While chairing the Punjab cabinet’s meeting last Sunday, the Prime Minister took up the issue of conducting forensic audits of all mega-projects executed by the previous government. According to media reports, he also asked the ministers to unveil the “massive corruption” of his predecessors.

Earlier, in a federal cabinet meeting, the PTI decided to undertake the forensic audit of all the metro mass transit projects in Punjab. It was proposed that the Attorney General of Pakistan and relevant provincial governments should undertake a special audit of major public transport projects executed by the PML-N government during its 2013-2018 tenure, but the suggestion was rejected. Instead, according to the media reports, the cabinet decided to entrust the Federal Investigation Agency with the task of conducting forensic audits of the projects.

At the same cabinet meeting, it was pointed out that the erstwhile PML-N administration in the Centre had initiated several mega-projects which involved high capital outlay and laid a heavy cost on the national exchequer.

When previously in opposition, the PTI alleged that the Sharifs made billions of rupees in commission and kickbacks through these mega-projects. Imran Khan used to say that these projects were conceived to make money.

Interestingly, Minister of State for Communications Murad Saeed has also announced plans to conduct a third-party audit of six mega-development projects now falling under his domain, in the first phase of inquiries into corruption. He said that the cost of these projects had witnessed an unprecedented increase of billions of rupees.

Speaking at a public meeting during his time in opposition, Murad had promised that Imran Khan, within 24 hours of his appointment as Prime Minister, would retrieve $200 billion of Pakistanis' money stashed in foreign banks.