ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing the Sharif family’s cases ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday to furnish more details of properties belonging to Hassan and Hussain, the sons of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
NAB submitted details of 10 assets, mainly comprising shares of Hassan and Hussain in business ventures in Pakistan. Hussain has shares in all 10 companies while Hassan is partner in two of the firms purportedly owned by the Sharif family.
The top anti-graft body informed the court that in addition to the information furnished on Tuesday, it was waiting for a reply from the Lahore Development Authority, Defence Housing Authority, Bahria Town and State Bank of Pakistan about more assets of the accused.
“IO (investigation officer) is directed to furnish further details of property belonging to absconding accused,” Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court stated in his order.
Absconders: Court notices put up outside Hassan and Hussain Nawaz's homes
Afzal Qureshi, a NAB prosecutor, submitted details of the shares held by Hassan and Hussain in various companies as provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
He contended that the shares “stand attached within the meaning of section-88, CrPC”, adding that warrants for attachment should be issued to the SECP joint registrar for further necessary action. The order, however, does not state if the court accepted his request. It only states that the investigation officer has to submit more details of the properties of the two brothers.
It shows that Hussain Nawaz is a shareholder in Muhammad Bukhsh Textile Mills Limited, Ittefaq Brothers, Brothers Steel Mills, Hudabiya Paper Mills, Hudabiya Engineering, Ittefaq Textile Mills, Hamza Spinning Mills, Brothers Textile Mills, Ramzan Bukhsh Textile Mills and Khalid Siraj Industries (Pvt) Limited. Hassan Nawaz has shares in Muhammad Bukhsh Textile Mills and Hamza Spinning Mills.
Earlier, the judge had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Hassan and Hussain for failing to appear before the court. While separating the trial of Hassan and Hussain from others and declaring them absconders, the court had ordered initiation of proceedings under section-87 (proclamation for person absconding) of the Criminal Procedure Code against them. In the proclamation, the judge had noted that the suspects allegedly committed offences under section-9 (a) and (xii) of the NAB Ordinance of 1999 that were punishable under section-10 and its schedule.
The order noted that the suspects had “absconded” or “concealed” themselves to avoid execution of warrants of arrest, adding that they were required to appear before the court to answer the references filed against them within 30 days starting from October 11. Otherwise, the order read, they would be declared proclaimed offenders.
It added that the “property belonging to the accused is also going to be attached u/s [under section] 88 CrPC at any stage after this proclamation”.
NAB has filed four corruption references against the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar with the accountability court in light of the July 28 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case. The accountability court has indicted Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar in the Avenfield Apartments, London, reference. Sharif was also indicted in references pertaining to Azizia Steel & Hill Metal companies, and Flagship Investment and other firms. The ex-premier and his sons have been named in all three references, while Maryam and Safdar are facing the Avenfield reference. The apex court had asked the top graft buster to file references against Sharif, his sons, daughter and son-in-law within six weeks.
The accountability court will resume the hearing pertaining to the assets of Hassan and Hussain on November 14.
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