Broadsheet case investigation scope widened

Assistant Directors Amanullah and Ahsan Ali Bajwa have been appointed to provide support in the Broadsheet case and other related international cases.

Earlier, the government for investigating the assets of Pakistanis living abroad had contracted with the Broadsheet firm but despite being paid a hefty fee, the required details of the assets were not obtained.

Last month, the federal government had issued a notification to form a one-member commission headed by Justice (Retd) Azmat Saeed to probe the broadsheet scandal.

TORs were also issued along with the notification. The Commission have the power to form committees of officers and experts for investigation. The Commission will examine the selection, appointment and contracts of Broadsheet and IAR. The Commission will also scrutinise the reasons for the cancellation of contracts with Broadsheet and International Asset Recovery (IAR) firms in 2003, while the Commission will too find the reasons and implications of Pakistan's payments to Broadsheet in 2008.

It may be recalled that the opposition parties had rejected the appointment of Justice (Retd) Azmat Saeed as the head of the commission to probe the Broadsheet scandal. Opposition leaders said that Justice Azmat Saeed had been a NAB prosecutor while he was also a member of the Board of Governors of Shaukat Khanum. Besides, he was also one of the judges who had decided infamous Panama case.