NAB decides to file four references against Sharifs

• References will be prepared on basis of material collected, referred by JIT report

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday decided to file four references in the accountability courts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi in compliance of the Supreme Court judgment announced July 28, 2017, regarding the Panama Papers case.

The references will be prepared on the basis of the material collected and referred by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in its report and some other material as may be available with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and NAB having nexus with the assets in the below mentioned cases or which might subsequently become available including material that may become available in pursuant to the mutual legal assistance requests sent by JIT to different jurisdictions.

1. a) Reference relating to the Avenfield Properties (Flat No.16 and 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom).
2. b) Reference relating to the establishment of Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Company.
3. c) Reference relating to the companies mentioned in paragraph 9 of the judgment.
4. d) Reference relating to respondent No.10 for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.

The officers concerned were directed for an efficient and professional handling of the entire process in the laid down time limit. NAB Balochistan Director General (DG) Irfan Naeem Mangi given the responsibility of implementing the Supreme Court’s July 28 order on the Panama Papers case.

Mangi, who was part of the joint investigation team that probed the Sharif family’s business dealings, will file references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif; his children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz; son-in-law Muhammad Safdar; former finance minister Ishaq Dar, and others named by the Supreme Court in its ruling.

The references will be filed against the Sharif family, Ishaq Dar as well as Sheikh Saeed, Musa Ghani, Kashif Masood Qazi, Javaid Kiyani and Saeed Ahmed and other individuals who have any direct or indirect connection with the actions of the Sharif family. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry.

The court has ordered NAB to file five references against the accused within six weeks of the July 28 judgement and directed that proceedings be completed within six months. NAB has approved the filing of corruption references relating to the Avenfield properties, ie Flats No 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A in Avenfield House, Mayfair, London.

The second corruption reference approved by NAB against Sharif family relates to the Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment. A third reference, relating to the 16 companies owned by the Sharif family abroad, has also been green-lighted. However, NAB had not approved filing a reference regarding the Hudaibiya Paper Mills, reasoning that the case has already been decided by the Lahore High Court.

The fourth reference approved on Monday is to be filed against Ishaq Dar who, according to the JIT report, has accumulated wealth beyond his known sources of income. The reference against Ishaq Dar was approved in light of the JIT report that said Dar’s wealth witnessed a staggering 91 times increase from Rs9 million to Rs831m in a short span of time.