-Broadsheet Commission recommends de-sealing Swiss cases record
-PM House receives Broadsheet scandal inquiry report
-The committee recorded statements of 26 witnesses in the scandal
-AGP says Swiss cases record went missing during 2008
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The Broadsheet inquiry commission has recommended to de-seal Swiss cases record of the former president Asif Ali Zardari. The committee in its report has unearthed the Swiss cases recorded kept in the record room of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The inquiry commission has recommended de-seal the record of the cases. The record should be reviewed as to what has to be done with it, the Broadsheet committee has recommended.
Earlier in the day, the inquiry report of the Broadsheet scandal was received in the Prime Minister’s (PM) House.
The federal government had appointed Justice (retired) Azmat Saeed Shaikh to head the inquiry committee after the revelations made by the Broadsheet LLC chief Kaveh Mousavi. UK-based asset recovery firm Broadsheet LLC had been hired in 2000 by General Pervez Musharraf’s government to help recover assets stashed by past Pakistani rulers abroad. Reports further said that the inquiry report was received by Joint Secretary Zahid Maqsood. The report consists of 500 pages. Overall the committee recorded statements of 26 witnesses in the scandal.
Meanwhile, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan on Monday said that no record has gone missing during the tenure of the incumbent government after the Broadsheet inquiry commission has asked the government to de-seal the record of the Swiss cases against the former president and PPP leader Asif Zardari.
Khalid Jawed said that the record from the attorney general’s office went missing in 2008. “Malik Qayyum was the attorney general at that time,” he said adding that no record went missing during the tenure of the incumbent government. He further said that the record also went missing from the London High Commission during the tenure of Wajid Shamsul Hassan. “We extended our complete support to the Broadsheet commission,” the attorney general said adding that the international legal cell was established at the attorney general’s office in 2016.
Earlier this month the United National Bank (UBL) London branch had frozen around £1 million held in Pakistan’s account in compliance with an Order issued in last month by the London High Court in favor of the Broadsheet LLC. The UBL had informed the Broadsheet LLC and the London High Court in writing that Pakistan Government’s account, operated by Pakistan High Commission London, with around £1 million in it has been frozen until next orders of the London High court.
On 15 February 2021, the London High Court froze funds that Pakistan High Commission holds with United National Bank in London up to the value of $1,222,037.90 plus costs to be determined by the court at a hearing in June. A letter that Broadsheet’s lawyers Crowell & Moring have written to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Attorney General’s Office.
