Summons served, Sharif faces court today

Will appear before accountability court tomorrow [November 3]

ISLAMABAD: A NAB team tasked to serve an accountability court’s summons on deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan on Thursday morning failed to show up at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA).

It later visited Punjab House where Capital Administration and Development  Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry received the summons on behalf of Sharif besides handing over surety bonds worth Rs1 million to secure bail for him.

Due to bureaucratic hurdles and procedural hitches on the part of Aviation Division, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team was neither granted nor denied access to the plane carrying Sharif until PK-786 landed at the airport and he went to Punjab House.

On Wednesday, NAB through a letter addressed to the chief security officer of the ASF sought access to the plane carrying Sharif “for compliance of the orders of the accountability court” by serving its summons.

According to NAB sources, the Airport Security Force (ASF) at first resorted to a ‘no-response’ approach and finally the bureau was informed late on Wednesday night by phone to seek permission of the aviation secretary. The Aviation Division works under the administrative control of the Prime Minister’s Office. The situation forced NAB Rawalpindi region authorities to change their plan and the team did not visit the airport.

The flight carrying Sharif landed at BBIA at around 8:20am and was received by senior PML-N leaders. Afterwards, Sharif was escorted to Punjab House by ASF officials.

Sharif is scheduled to appear before the court on Friday in connection with the references against him and members of his family filed by NAB on the directives of the Supreme Court issued in the Panama Papers case about offshore wealth. This would be his third court appearance since the trial began.



He appeared before the court on September 26 and October 2, while he skipped proceedings, despite being summoned, on September 19, October 9, October 13 and October 26. During the past month he was looking after his ailing wife who is under treatment in London.

However, due to his continuous absence, the court on October 26 issued his bailable arrest warrants.

Meanwhile, a NAB official, wishing not to be named, criticised the bureau for issuing the letter sent by it to the ASF for seeking access to the plane. “They (NAB Rawalpindi) even mentioned name of the NAB investigation officer associated with the investigations along with his cell number,” he said, adding that the bureau usually did not follow such procedure when it came to requests for assistance from other departments.