Chairman NAB rejects recommendations to freeze Sharif family's assets: sources

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected recommendations to freeze assets belonging to members of the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, sources told Geo News.

Chaudhry also rejected the recommendation to add the names of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, and Dar to the Exit Control List (ECL). 

NAB offices in Lahore and Rawalpindi on Friday had prepared and forwarded references against members of the Sharif family and Dar, requesting their assets be frozen and their names placed to be placed on ECL. 

NAB regional offices send 4 references against Sharif family, Dar to HQ

References sent by NAB Lahore and Rawalpindi offices against ownership of Avenfield apartments, purchase of Azizia Steel Mills, ownership of various industrial assets and one against Ishaq Dar

A letter addressed to Director General (DG) NAB Lahore Saleem Shehzad rejected the recommendations to freeze the accounts of members of the Sharif family in Avenfield apartments case and add their names to the ECL, sources said.  

After the Supreme Court announced the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister on July 28, NAB was ordered to file several references against Nawaz, his children Hussain, Hasan, and Maryam, son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar and Dar.

The accountability bureau was given six weeks, from the date of the court's order, to file the reference in an accountability court.

NAB to file four references against Sharif family, Dar

References would be filed by NAB Rawalpindi, will be pursued in an accountability court

In its order, the five-member-bench also requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to nominate a judge of the Supreme Court to supervise and monitor implementation of the judgement and oversee proceedings of NAB and the accountability court.

References

A reference against Nawaz, Maryam, Hussain, Hasan and Capt (retd) Safdar, relating to the Avenfield properties (flats 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom), has been directed to be filed by NAB. "In preparing and filing this Reference, the NAB shall also consider the material already collected during the course of investigations conducted earlier, as indicated in the detailed judgments," the court ruled.

The court also ordered the filing of a reference against respondents Nawaz, Hussain and Hasan regarding Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment.

Then finance minister Ishaq Dar after his session with the Panama case JIT. Photo: File

A reference was ordered against Dar possessing assets and funds beyond his known sources of income, "as discussed in paragraph 9 of the judgment".

The court also ordered NAB to include in its proceedings all other persons including Sheikh Saeed, [nephew of Dar’s wife] Musa Ghani, [son of a retired officer from London Stock Exchange] Kashif Masood Qazi, [Nawaz’s friend] Javaid Kiyani and [National Bank of Pakistan President] Saeed Ahmed, who have any direct or indirect nexus or connection with the actions of Nawaz, Hussain, Hasan, Maryam and Dar, leading to acquisition of assets and funds beyond their known sources of income.

A reference was also ordered against Nawaz, Hussain and Hasan regarding the companies mentioned in paragraph nine of the judgment.

The bench also gave NAB the option to file supplementary reference(s) "if and when any other asset, which is not prima facie reasonably accounted for, is discovered".

Panama Case: Judgement of the Supreme Court of Pakistan

The accountability court will then proceed with and decide the aforesaid references within six months from the date of filing.

The Supreme Court has stated that if the accountability court finds any deed, document or affidavit filed by or on behalf of the respondents or any other person to be fake, false, forged or fabricated, it shall take appropriate action against the person concerned as per the law.