شراب لائسنس جاری کرنے کا الزام بے بنیاد: بزدار نے نیب کو جواب جمع کرا دیا
وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب عثمان بزدار نے قومی احتساب بیورو (نیب) میں اپنا جواب جمع کراتے ہوئے شراب لائسنس جاری کرنے کے الزام کو بے بنیاد قرار دیا۔
انہوں نے 12 صفحات پر مشتمل سوالنامہ کے جواب میں اپنا چار صفحات کا جواب پیش کیا ، جو اس سے قبل نیب نے انہیں دیا تھا۔ ذرائع کا کہنا ہے کہ بزدار کا جواب شراب کے معاملے پر مرکوز تھا ، اور اس میں اپنے اثاثوں کی تفصیلات کا ذکر نہیں کیا گیا ، جس کے بارے میں نیب نے سوالیہ نشان کے ذریعے طلب کیا۔
وزیر اعلیٰ پنجاب نے واضح طور پر اپنے مؤقف کو واضح کیا کہ انہوں نے شراب لائسنس کے اجراء میں کوئی کردار ادا نہیں کیا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ ایکسائز اینڈ ٹیکسیشن ڈائریکٹر جنرل (ڈی جی) کے پاس شراب کے لائسنس جاری کرنے کا اختیار ہے۔ مزید تفصیلات دیتے ہوئے انہوں نے بتایا کہ کل 11 لائسنس جاری کیے گئے تھے ، جن میں سے نو خود ڈی جی نے جاری کیے تھے۔ صرف یہی نہیں ، 2000 اور 2001 میں ، پنجاب کے گورنر نے شراب کے لائسنس بھی جاری کیے تھے۔
وزیراعلیٰ نے بتایا کہ اس وقت کے ڈی جی ایکسائز اینڈ ٹیکسیشن اکرم گوندل نے انہیں لائسنس جاری کرنے کے لئے سمری بھیجی تھی ، جسے مسترد کردیا گیا تھا۔ وزیراعلیٰ نے اپنے جواب میں کہا کہ ڈی جی ایکسائز نے لائسنس جاری کرنے کے بعد ایک بار پھر سمری وزیراعلیٰ آفس کو بھیجی ، لیکن سی ایم کے پرنسپل سکریٹری نے غیر متعلقہ فورم پر بھیجے جانے پر اسے واپس کردیا۔ مزید یہ کہ ایک ایکسائز اینڈ ٹیکسیشن وزیر نے اس کے بعد ایک حقائق تلاش کرنے والی کمیٹی کی روشنی میں ہوٹل کا شراب کا لائسنس معطل کردیا۔ تاہم ، بعد میں ، لاہور ہائیکورٹ کے سنگل بنچ نے 2019 میں لائسنس کی بحالی کا حکم دیا۔ وزیراعلیٰ نے کہا کہ فیصلے کے خلاف انٹرا کورٹ اپیل نمٹانے کا التواء ہے اور ان پر لگائے گئے الزامات بے بنیاد ہیں۔
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, while submitting his reply to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), termed the allegation of issuing liquor license as baseless.
He submitted his four-page answer to the 12-page questionnaire, which was earlier given to him by the NAB. Sources said that Buzdar’s reply was focused on the issue of alcohol, and did not mention the details of his assets, which was questioned by the NAB.
The Punjab Chief Minister made it clear that he did not play any role in the issuance of liquor licenses. He said that the Director General of Excise and Taxation (DG) has the authority to issue liquor licenses. Giving further details, he said that a total of 11 licenses were issued, nine of which were issued by the DG himself. Not only that, in 2000 and 2001, the Governor of Punjab also issued liquor licenses.
The Chief Minister said that the then DG Excise and Taxation Akram Gondal had sent him a summary for issuing the license, which was rejected. In his reply, the Chief Minister said that the DG Excise had once again sent a summary to the Chief Minister’s Office after issuing the license, but the Principal Secretary to the CM had returned it after it was sent to an unrelated forum. In addition, an excise and taxation minister subsequently suspended the hotel’s liquor license in the light of a fact-finding committee. However, later, a single bench of the Lahore High Court ordered reinstatement of the license in 2019. The Chief Minister said that an intra-court appeal against the decision was pending and the allegations leveled against him were baseless.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, while submitting his reply to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), termed the allegation of issuing liquor license as baseless.
He submitted his four-page answer to the 12-page questionnaire, which was earlier given to him by the NAB. Sources said that Bazdar’s reply was focused on the issue of alcohol, and did not mention the details of his assets, which was questioned by the NAB.
The Punjab Chief Minister made it clear that he did not play any role in the issuance of liquor licenses. He said that the Director General of Excise and Taxation (DG) has the authority to issue liquor licenses. Giving further details, he said that a total of 11 licenses were issued, nine of which were issued by the DG himself. Not only that, in 2000 and 2001, the Governor of Punjab also issued liquor licenses.
The Chief Minister said that the then DG Excise and Taxation Akram Gondal had sent him a summary for issuing the license, which was rejected. In his reply, the Chief Minister said that the DG Excise had once again sent a summary to the Chief Minister’s Office after issuing the license, but the Principal Secretary to the CM had returned it after it was sent to an unrelated forum. In addition, an excise and taxation minister subsequently suspended the hotel’s liquor license in the light of a fact-finding committee. However, later, a single bench of the Lahore High Court ordered reinstatement of the license in 2019. The Chief Minister said that an intra-court appeal against the decision was pending and the allegations leveled against him were baseless.
