No point to summon NAB Chairman, says Shibli Faraz.

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said Thursday that the Prime Minister had already constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the Broadsheet matter and determine the responsibility within 45 days.

The minister said this during the meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting chaired by Javed Latif, MNA. He said there was no point to summon the Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the committee at this time.

He said as per terms of reference of the inquiry committee responsibility would be fixed and its details would be shared with the information committee. Moreover, he said the matter did not come in the domain of the committee on Information and Broadcasting.

Shibli Faraz opined that at a time when an inquiry committee was working, summoning the NAB Chairman in the committee could create confusion. He said that when the inquiry committee report comes, if the committee was not satisfied it could summon him then. He said that if the Committee summons the chairman NAB, then it should also summon all persons named in it.

https://nation.com.pk/22-Jan-2021/no-minister-in-broadsheet-investigation-panel-fawad-ch

During past five years the committee has never taken any agenda like this, he said adding that the PTI had no worry on the Broadsheet issue, as it had nothing to do with this all saga.

PTI MNA Farrukh Habib said that it was an open and shut affair and if the Committee summons the Chairman NAB, then all aspects of the case should be discussed. He said that he differed with the proposal to summon the Chairman NAB as it was not in the domain of the committee. PTI MNA Kanwal Shauzab also opposed the idea to summon the head of the NAB.

Report to be presented within 45 days

However, the Chairman of the Committee Javed Latif said that at the first stage the NAB chairman could send his representative to brief the committee, if he could not satisfy the panel it may summon the Chairman NAB in its next meeting. Javed Latif said that it was the responsibility of the institution to explain who was responsible for payment of millions of dollars to Broadsheet without recovery of any looted money.

https://nation.com.pk/22-Jan-2021/mohammad-karim-bags-gold-medal-in-28th-national-ski-championship

On the proposal of PTI MNA Kanwal Shauzab, the committee also decided to summon the owners of the media houses whose employees have not been paid salaries...