- Six-member hands over bailable warrants to Nawaz Sharif’s personal secretary
- Court asks Pakistan’s HC in London to serve warrants at Avenfield apartments
A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday arrived at the Jati Umrah residence of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif along with bailable arrest warrants for his children and son-in-law, Geo News TV channel reported.
On Tuesday, the accountability court, hearing corruption cases against the Sharif family, had issued bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam, sons Hussain and Hassan, and son-in-law MNA Muhammad Safdar to ensure their presence. They had also been directed to submit surety bonds worth one million rupees each.
The channel reported that Qamar Zaman, a personal secretary of the former prime minister, received the warrants from the six-member team led by a deputy director. Judge Mohammad Bashir of the accountability court had also ordered the Sharif children to appear before the court on October 2, the next date of hearing.
On the other hand, the court has asked Pakistan’s High Commission in London to serve bailable arrest warrants to the former prime minister’s children and his son-in-law at the Avenfield apartments, but none other than Hassan Nawaz lives at the mentioned address making it impossible for the summons to be served in the correct manner.
Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz and Muhammad Safdar are living at a separate location and are not at the Avenfield apartments. Nawaz Sharif stays with Hassan when in London while others in the family visit Avenfield block regularly.
The High Commission can present the summons for Hassan Nawaz to his porter who manages the reception of Avenfield block but officials have no clue where Maryam, Hussain and others are currently staying. Out of the four apartments mentioned in the Panama Papers, only Hassan’s flat is suitable for accommodation while the other three flats are undergoing maintenance work.
The channel reported that Hussain, Maryam and Safdar have been staying at rented accommodation nearby to visit ailing mother frequently. There is not enough space in the four-bedroom apartment to accommodate more people, hence two flats have been rented nearby to accommodate family and relatives. Kulsoom has been staying with Hassan since she reached London for treatment and is attended by a doctor and an assistant round the clock.
The channel reported that the warrants for Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and Safdar were sent through fax and parcel three days ago and High Commission officials have confirmed the receipt to the Foreign Office. The two copies of the warrants for each accused had been received at the commission. A High Commission spokesman refused to comment when asked if the warrants have been served to the individuals concerned or not.