Sharif demands NAB chairman produce evidence on $4.9b claim

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked NAB chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal to produce evidence to support his claim that the former PM had sent $4.9 billion to India. 

“The allegation is so serious and shameful that ignoring it would mean destabilising the political, democratic and constitutional system of Pakistan,” the former PM said, addressing a press conference at Punjab House on Thursday.

“The allegation against me is that I sent almost five billion dollars out of the country through money-laundering and hurt the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan while benefiting the India’s foreign exchange reserves,” the former PM said.

“The NAB chief should furnish evidence to prove his allegations against me within 24 hours,” Nawaz Sharif demanded.

The World Bank in 2016 issued a report in which it claimed that $4.9 billion was transferred from Pakistan to India. However, in September 2016 the State Bank of Pakistan denied the claim. On May 8 this year, the NAB issued a press release, stating that it had begun investigating Nawaz Sharif for laundering $4.9 billion to India.

“The NAB that was meant to be a corruption watchdog is nothing but a tool for churning out allegations against me,” he said.

“Corruption of even a single penny wasn’t proved against me in Panama Papers case. But, I was disqualified on the basis of Iqamah as it had been earlier decided I will be sacked from the premiership.”