NAB, PPP lock horns over Bilawal's appearance before JIT.

ISLAMABAD -- The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are at loggerheads over the issue of appearance of the party's chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari before the anti-graft watchdog.

NAB has 'termed the media reports attributed to Mr Bhutto-Zardari' contrary to a letter earlier written to the bureau's Rawalpindi branch by him through his lawyer stating that he (the PPP chief) will have no objection in appearing before a joint investigation team (JIT) after Jan 15.

'According to the media reports, now he has declined to appear before NAB,' said a press release issued from the bureau's headquarters on Tuesday.

'This is against his assurance given to NAB... Furthermore the filthy language used or the threat given by a party chairman to NAB cannot stop it from performing its legal duties in accordance with law,' the bureau said, apparently in response to Monday's press conference by Mr Bhutto-Zardari.

Bureau says PPP chief's refusal contradicts his early assurance; he had agreed to join probe next month, says spokesman

The press release said NAB was working to eradicate corruption from the country and it strongly believed in having point of view/statement of any person against whom a probe was being conducted aiming to fulfil all legal requirements of justice. 'The accused cannot be deprived of his legal right as per law,' it added.

On the other hand, the PPP chairman's spokesman Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said NAB's statement was 'far from...