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NAB chairman orders reopening of cases against Sharif brothers
The Sharifs are allegedly involved in a $32m embezzlement case.
The Sharifs are allegedly involved in a $32m embezzlement case. PHOTO: TMN/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Nationality Accountability Bureau Chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari has ordered the reopening of three references against Nawaz Sharif’s family.
Officials told The Express Tribune on Friday that Bokhari – on the recommendations of a special committee – has decided to reopen cases against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief’s family, involving an alleged case of money laundering worth more than $32 million.
The special committee headed by NAB Prosecutor General KK Agha has recommended the reopening of cases against politicians after the committee decided to scrutinise cases against all politicians, particularly against the Sharif brothers.
“NAB’s chairman has signed an application requesting the accountability court to reopen three references against the Sharif brothers to contest a petition which was filed by the Sharif brothers in [the] Lahore High Court in October 2011,” said an official statement. “These cases include Hudaibia Paper Mills, assets beyond known sources of income and Ittefaq foundry (wilful loan default).”
On May 17, the bureau had formally announced that the decision to initiate inquiries against Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif came after President Asif Ali Zardari’s order to scrutinise all politicians.
“The president directed NAB’s chairman to make sure that there should be no political victimisation in such cases,” said a top official.
The special committee will revisit all the cases pending against politicians, the official revealed while adding that “we are in the process of scrutinising the remaining cases relating to politicians and the findings/recommendations would be shared with the media accordingly”.
Sharif brothers on February 15, 1995 provided a guarantee to pay on demand the Leasing Company any such due against the Hudabiya Paper Mills up to a maximum of $12.046 million together with all profits and charges, stated the reference as quoted by investigators. However, the paper mill failed to make the payment on the first due date or any date thereafter.
Then interior minister Rehman Malik had claimed on April 28, 2012 that he had documented evidence of corruption against the PML-N leadership and would file a reference against them to NAB. The federal government is the complainant in this reference, which also includes cases related to defaulting on loans worth Rs4.9 billion taken from nine different banks in the early 90s.
The official statement further stated that the proceedings on cases against the Sharif brothers were adjourned sine-die (without assigning a day for a further hearing) by the accountability court in 2001 when they were in exile.
After their return, NAB filed an application for the reopening of these cases in 2007 which was granted. But later on, these cases were adjourned sine-die in 2010 by the accountability court with the direction that the trial could be commenced if an application signed by the bureau’s chairman is submitted before the court.
PML-N Information Secretary Mushahidullah Khan rejected the allegations saying: “We are ready to face inquiries… These are totally politically motivated inquiries.
“The bureau should become a mouthpiece of the Supreme Court rather than the president,” he told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2012.
Reader Comments (32)
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It is too little too late but better late than never. However, the Punjab HC which has stayed all cases against Sharifs would again save them and their corruption cases would be kept under the rug. The Punjab HC and PCO SC have no time for any other case except against PPP leaders.
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Thought this day would never come. I can only wonder if IK hadn’t put pressure on NAB to re-open cases against the Sharif’s they would have gotten away with daylight robbery.
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Jazakullah
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Friendly fight between PPP and PMLN.
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I’m a PMLN supporter and i said its good for my party in the longer run, since these cases only used as prapoganda and nothing substantial in it ever found not even by the long 10 years of Musharraf rule.
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Please open cases against all money laundering and against all who have properties in UK,France,USA ,UAE etc which have not been declared.
Needless to say properties directly owned or through shell companies should be included in probe
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@ahmed.. Nothing substantial in it eve found ? Or we can say enough substantial evidence but it will be revealed at some import point of time?
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For those who dont know. Sharif brothers successfully defended these cases during BB govt ( 93-96 ). They will do it again.
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Their cases went into cold storage when both brothers applied for exile. Now they will have to explain how they amassed billions. Good luck to them.
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Saad, they defended from 93-96 and ran away in 99
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This is just a political move since in a few months time elections will be held. Why not four years ago because PML(N) was friendly opposition?
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Atif, during BB govt LHC gave verdict in NS favour and then no one took it to SC. I dont call this running away. But mush copied the same case to NRO. And then Hamza Shahbaz ( son of SS ) was in Pakistan all the time defending his family. Fact is there is nothing proven against them. NAB wants to try again they can, waste of money.Recommend
It is in no way possible that NS was not involved in corruption. We just need to compare earnings rate of their businesses vs. that of competitors and industry growth rates to ascertain that the funds they funneled outside the country in no way came through legitimate means. Some foreign authors have done a great job in providing money trail of these funds.
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These guys are making the nation fool, I am hearing this story for years, but never any thing happened.
SC is wasting the peoples money and these guys are looting us with both hand so just God save us from these evil people.Recommend
If sharif brother found guilty i will join PTI if they did not then I Request to PTI to joint PML-NRecommend
Nothing will happen Inside they (PPP & PMLn) are one and the same…..!!!!
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Mianjees, they say, “What goes around, comes around.” get Ahsan Iqbal to explain it to you.
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The cases have been opened and will be shut again once Nawaz agrees to whatever Zardari wants. NAB’s credibility is zero as it is seen as a tool for political exploitation.
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I will join PML-N if in this case sharif brother guilty and if not then i request all PTI trot to join PML-N.Recommend
Musharaf did not proved these cases in his dictatorship so what will zardari do… Nothing but just political gains for PPP & PTI
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It will be interesting to see how the Sharifs face the music. If you live by sword you die by the sword.
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@Mirza:
For God sake please take notice of the genocide of Burmese Muslims. We are too much obsessed with Politics and corrupt politicians but we don’t have any concern for the Muslims being massacred in Myanamar. Please raise your voice for our brethren who are punished for being Muslims and nothing else.
I request all the human rights organisations to take up this issue on international plane to help the depressed and innocent Burmese Muslims who are being treated worse than animals and their dead bodies dumped like like garbage on the roads.
Please please please convey my message. I have no other way to convey this.
Thanks
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Fazli Naik Sb…massacre of Muslims…whether in Burma , Syria or Pakistan etc; is very sad & shameful, but first save our house ” Pakistan ” where we are killing our own Muslim brothers….? call to put a STOP to our own creation before calling on Muslim Ummah to do same in a country where Muslim is not in majority.
2) opening of Sharif`s case is a good step…is this not the responsibility of NAB to look into all such cases…who so ever they might be.All shud be accountable, but NAB has already declared PM Pervez Ashraf as ” innocent ” while the whole world knows what he has done in RPP case…if today there was Allah open court in this world…all those wud stand guilty & punished…but Allah knows best when to strike & will do so soon…& insha Allah including those who supports the wrong….Recommend
“…..decision to initiate inquiries against Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif came after President Asif Ali Zardari’s order to scrutinise all politicians.”
I assume then, that Zardari doesn’t consider himself a politician? Or is it to scrutinise whether there are any new tricks of the trade to be learnt from the Sharif Bros? Never in my wildest thoughts did I envisage that one day I would see Zardari as a president of the country, and then ordering scrutiny of politicians. That’s like watching a secret video of bin Laden chairing a meeting of the core commanders at Pakistan Military Academy. Any takers? WikiLeaks?Recommend
Bad news for Imran, if you victimise leaders like Sharif Brothers just before elections, it will benefit more to Sharif’s than anyone else, as PML-N voters will sympathise more with Sharif’s being targeted by Zardari…
Secondly all of these cases have already been fully investigated by Musharaf, so these cases have no substance, but they were never been closed for political posturing…
This will be like a bounty to PML-N just before elections as Imran Khan doctrine of “Noora Kushti” will be doomed…
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Sharif family has gone through harder times than recent times but still they have managed to keep their strength in both elected houses. The conspiracy of establsihment and Imran will not succeed.
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@Fazli Malik:
What about raising voice against brutal killing of Shias in Quetta, PAKISTAN? Charity begins at home!
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Judiciary has become too controversial in Pakistan and has lost its image. People like me who were in the forefront of all the processions for Chaudry Iftikhar are totally disillusioned. It has again become the same old court where justice was for sale and delays/incomplete judgments were the hallmark.
Power Politics has crept in the higher Judiciary and their judgments are awfully controversial.
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Electoral Year ! blame game is on.
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Its never too late but I am expecting the PCO judges to intervene soon if government actually starts proceeding on the matter.
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@ishrat salim:
My Dear Brother,
I agree with you that our own country in in danger and on the verge of dismemberment. I love my country more than anything else. I know that we are passing through a very difficult phase of our history. We lose our near and dear ones with each coming day. Whether they are majority or minority, they are humanbeings and they have the right to live. Nobody raises any voice for them but the whole media is silent. I wanted to bring this issue to their notice. You cannot imagine their pain as, Allah forbade, you have not lost your relative or loved ones.
As for Pakistan, we will not be able to make a Pakistan in thousands years if we lose the one we have. Nobody thinks about the motherland but about their own vested interests. We are united against all those who are bringing bad name to the country and are its sworn enemies. We are nothing without Pakistan.
Long live Pakistan and Pakistanis.
Ameen!
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Reply to Fazli Malik Sb…thnx…that shud be the spirit….to feel for all human beings not just muslims…may Allah swt make you more wise to lead this country from the present impasse..A`ameen.Recommend