Sharif family receives accountability court's summons

The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Lahore office has informed its headquarters in Islamabad that the Sharif family has been delivered the summons issued by an accountability court.

The court's summons were received by the security officer at the Sharif family's Jati Umra residence in Lahore. The summons were dispatched to the Sharif family's homes in Model Town and Jati Umra. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's summon was dispatched to his residence in Gulberg.

On Thursday, an accountability court had summoned five members of the Sharif family on September 19 and the incumbent finance minister on September 20 in four references filed against them.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir issued summons to deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar for September 19 in three references filed against them by NAB.

The court also summoned Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on September 20 for allegedly possessing assets beyond his known sources of income in one reference filed against him in line with the Supreme Court’s April 28 judgement.



In the reference, the NAB said it had yet to determine the role of the National Bank of Pakistan’s president and others over their alleged involvement in “aiding and abetting” the finance minister to make a 91-time increase in his assets within a short span of time.

A day after the trial in corruption cases against the ruling family and Dar officially began, the court issued summons to all the accused in all four references.

The former premier and his sons have been named in three references – Avenfield Flats, Flagship Investment Limited and 15 other companies as well as Al-Azizia Company Limited and Hill Metals Establishment – while Maryam and Safdar have only been named in the Avenfield reference.



In its July 28 judgment, the apex court had directed the top graft buster to file references against the five Sharif family members within six weeks.

The NAB filed one reference against Sharif, Hussain, Hassan, Maryam and Safdar relating to the Avenfield Flats comprising Flat No 16 and 16-A, 17 and 17-A at Avenfield House in Park Lane area of London.

Al-Azizia Steel Company, Hill Metal Company, Flagship Investment Ltd and other companies references are only against the three-time former PM and his sons. Dar is facing only one reference over possession of assets beyond known sources of income.