NAB pastes notice on Sharif’s Lahore residence forbidding sale of properties

Sharif family’s legal counsel advises family to appear before NAB

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday pasted its notice on the main gate of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umra residence, forbidding him from selling his residence, according to sources.

According to the notice, Nawaz cannot sell his residence to anyone. Copies of the notice have also been sent to the heads of the Lahore Development Authority, Punjab Excise Department, Defence Housing Authority, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Lahore deputy commissioner.

The copies have been also sent to all the banks of the country.

The notice has been issued in connection with the Avenfield properties of the Sharif family in London, over which a reference has been filed against them in the Islamabad Accountability Court.

Meanwhile, NAB Lahore has also sent notice to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at his Islamabad and Lahore residence on Thursday night. According to the notice, Dar cannot sell his movable and immovable properties.

Dar is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

The violation of NAB’s order would result in punishment according to the NAB law’s section 23-A.

The Sharif family and Dar are presently in London where Nawaz’s wife, Kulsoom, is undergoing treatment for lymphoma.

The family failed to appear in the Islamabad Accountability Court on September 19 with regards to three references filed against them by NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s Panama case judgment of July 28.

The next hearing of the case is on September 26.

Meanwhile, a private TV channel reported that the legal counsel of the Sharif family, Khawaja Harris, has advised the family to appear before NAB. To seek his advice, the family had called the lawyer to London where he spent 2 days. After his return to Lahore, it has been revealed that the Sharif family, amid fears that their trial might not be fair, is unwilling to appear before the accountability court. Khawaja Harris had advised the family members to avoid legal complications such as the issuance of arrest warrants and heed the notices in a timely manner.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to London tomorrow and deliberate with the family on how to deal with the verdict of the court, the matter of the Model Town report being made public, as well as pressure against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to resign from his post.

NAB could also seek international assistance to ensure Nawaz Sharif and his sons appear before the court under the Section 21 of the NAB Ordinance. Section 21 relates to international cooperation-request for mutual legal assistance.