PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has requested the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to reschedule the hearing that is to be held on May 17, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Information Barrister Murtaza Wahab said on Wednesday.

In a video message, Wahab said that the PPP chairperson has written a letter to NAB, explaining that he will not be able to appear before the bureau on May 17 — as was earlier planned — due to some "prior commitments". Therefore, Bilawal urged the anti-corruption watchdog to set another date in the coming week.

"The notice sent by NAB to Bilawal was dated May 8, but he received it on May 13," Wahab claimed. "Since Mr Bilawal had prior commitments, he has intimated NAB that it will not be possible for him to appear on May 17."

Yesterday, Bilawal's spokesperson Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar had insisted that the PPP chairperson would appear before NAB on May 17, and had rubbished rumours that he had not answered questions posed by the bureau.

Bilawal had last appeared before NAB on March 20, when he was grilled in three corruption cases: an alleged purchase and demarcation of a land in Islamabad by Park Lane Estates (Pvt) Limited — of which Bilawal was a minor shareholder — as well as a loan allegedly obtained by the firm.