The World Bank has denied media reports former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif laundered $ 4.9 billion to India.
“In the past day, there have been media reports citing the World Bank’s Remittances and Migration Report of 2016. These media reports were incorrect,” the World Bank said in a statement. The World Bank’s Remittances and Migration Report neither mentions money laundering nor does it name any individual, the World Bank added.
The financial institution also pointed to a 2016 press release issued by the State Bank of Pakistan that refuted claims that $4.9 billion was transferred from Pakistan to India.
Media reports had claimed that $4.9 billion was laundered to Indian finance ministry after which Indian foreign exchange reserves saw an increase, whereas Pakistan suffered.
Meanwhile, according to a Geo News report, Pakistan's prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has called for a special committee to investigate National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) allegations that Sharif has laundered $4.9 billion to India.
“The NAB head should be summoned before Parliament and reveal where he got this information from,” Abbasi reportedly said, adding that the allegations leveled against Sharif were quite serious. “What will be the country’s future if institutions level such serious allegations against its politicians? If an institution can make such allegations, then it must be investigated all that is happening in it," Abbasi said.
“It is our right and obligation to bring such issues before the Parliament. The truth should be brought out before the people,” he asserted.
