Four references against Sharif family sent to NAB HQ

LAHORE: Lahore and Rawalpindi offices of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have forwarded four references against members of the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to the NAB headquarters on Friday.

According to sources, meetings were held at the NAB Lahore and NAB Rawalpindi offices under their respective directors general after which NAB Lahore forwarded two references to the headquarters; one against the ownership of Avenfield apartments, recommending seizure of Sharif family properties and freezing of bank accounts, and the second reference against Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.

Meanwhile, NAB Lahore has also recommended including names of the members of Sharif family and Ishaq Dar on the Exit Control List (ECL), however, no action on the recommendation was taken by the NAB chairman.

Rawalpindi NAB has also forwarded two references to the headquarters; the first one against the purchase of the Azizia Steel Mills, and the second one against the various industrial assets owned by the family, including the Hill Metal Establishment.

Sources claimed that NAB’s regional offices have also recommended seizing all family assets of Sharifs and freezing bank accounts of Nawaz Sharif, Hussain and Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz, further adding that recommendations to include Sharif family members in the ECL were sent over a fortnight ago but so far no action was taken.

The matter now lies before the NAB HQ which will file the references before the accountability court after getting an approval of its executive board.

Previously, members of Sharif family and Ishaq Dar had been summoned by NAB but they refused to appear on the pretext that until the Supreme Court (SC) decides their review petition on the Panama Papers case verdict they will not appear before the investigation team.

National Bank of Pakistan President Saeed Ahmed, Punjab Pakistan Sugar Mills Association Chairman Javed Kayani, officials of Securities And Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and FIA Additional Director General Wajid Zia, who also headed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the offshore business interests of Nawaz Sharif and his family, have already recorded their statements to NAB.

On July 28, the SC in a historical verdict ordered disqualification of Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Papers probe and ordered NAB to file references against the family and Ishaq Dar, within a stipulated time period of six weeks.