Panamagate case: Approval to file references against Sharifs likely today

NAB Executive Board set to give a go-ahead for four references to go to the accountability court

ISLAMABAD: Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is all set to meet on Thursday (today) to finalise four references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his family and Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

On approval from the Executive Board, NAB will file the four references in accountability courts in the light of the July 28 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case.

The NAB board was scheduled to meet on Wednesday (yesterday), but the meeting was postponed due to the absence of the bureau’s prosecutor-general who was out of the city on an official assignment.



In its July 28 judgment, the apex court had ordered NAB to file references against the accused, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz, her husband Capt (retd) Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar within six weeks of the announcement of the judgment.

The deadline expires on September 8 (tomorrow).

The references – three against the Sharif family and one against the finance minister – are prepared by NAB’s Rawalpindi and Lahore regional offices.

The first reference is related to the Avenfield properties (flat numbers 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A) to be filed against Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Safdar.



The second reference is related to Azizia Steel Mill and Hill Metal Establishment expected to be filed against Nawaz Sharif and his sons.

The third reference – against Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz – concerns offshore companies.

The fourth reference will be filed against Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for possessing assets and funds beyond known sources of income.

The Supreme Court had directed NAB to include in the proceedings other persons – including Sheikh Saeed, Musa Ghani, Kashif Masood Qazi, Javaid Kiyani and Saeed Ahmad (president National Bank of Pakistan) – who are directly or indirectly linked with the accused.



However, NAB did not summon all individuals mentioned in the judgment.

The apex court had told NAB that it might file any supplementary references on the basis of new evidence found during the course of the proceedings.

According to NAB officials, the bureau had not prepared any supplementary reference against any of the accused.

Once filed by NAB, the accountability court will have six months to take decision on the references.

None of the Sharif family member or Ishaq Dar appeared before NAB investigators despite repeated summons severed on them.

Instead, the Sharif family and Dar contended, through their lawyers, that they had filed review petitions in the Supreme Court against its July 28th judgment.