Accountability court accepts all references against Sharifs, Dar: NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted four interim references against the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar before the accountability court on Friday. 

Amid tight security, cartons full of documents from the NAB regional offices were ushered into the Islamabad Accountability Court amid much media hype as the Supreme Court's deadline expires today. 

NAB Spokesperson Nawazish Ali told Geo News that all the references have been accepted for trial and nothing has been sent back.

He asked the media to restrain from speculation on the issue.

He was responding to reports that one of the references is incomplete and that the registrar has asked NAB to attach the missing documents before the references can be sent for trial. 

Three of the references are against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar and sons Hussain and Hasan while another is against Dar. 

If convicted, the accused can face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets. 

The prosecution team of the NAB reached the court in Sector F-11 along with the documents to submit the references with the registrar of Judge Mohammad Bashir. 

Sources said the other judge of the accountability court — Nisar Baig — has been transferred to Lahore after completion of his term. 

The registrar said, according to sources, it may take two to three days to peruse the references as they contain several pages. Sources said NAB has attached with the references the nine volumes of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team's final report as well.  

The references were filed in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 decision in the Panama Papers case. The bureau was given six weeks, from the date of the court's order, to file the reference in an accountability court while the court was granted six months to wrap up the proceedings. 

Sharif family and Dar can face up to 14 years imprisonment, heavy fines, and freezing of property if the accountability court rules that a violation of Section 9 of the NAB Ordinance 1999 has taken place as suggested in the report of the Panama Papers case Joint Investigation Team. Moreover, the accused may also be disqualified from holding public office for life if found guilty. 

NAB's Rawalpindi branch prepared references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family. The bureau's Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family's Avenfield apartments in London and another against Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.

Sources said NAB has decided not to file the Hudaibia Paper Mills case as the apex court's order regarding it is unclear and has sought legal assistance over the matter.

Meanwhile, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry rejected recommendations by the bureau's regional chiefs in Rawalpindi and Lahore to freeze assets of Sharif family members and Dar, sources told Geo News.

Chaudhry also rejected the recommendation to add the names of Sharif, Hasan, Hussain, and Dar on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Hearing fixed for Nawaz, Dar's review petitions in SC

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has approved review petitions filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar against the Panama case verdict for hearing.

The apex court has set September 12 as the date for the hearing of the review petitions.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Aijaz Afzal, will conduct the hearing. 

The other two members of the bench are Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Aijazul Ahsan.

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.

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".