Former premier arrives at Benazir International Airport amid heavy security.
PHOTO: FILE
Nawaz was flown to Lahore via a chartered flight from Islamabad. Strict security arrangements were in place to deal with any untoward incident.
The former premier was convicted by an accountability court in Al-Azizia corruption reference filed by National Accountability Bureau in light of the Supreme Court's Panamagate verdict. The court awarded him seven years imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs1.5 billion.
The former premier spent Monday night at Adiala Jail.
Nawaz found guilty in Al-Azizia reference, acquitted in Flagship
The verdict
The judge in his 131-page judgment in Al-Azizia corruption reference concluded that the prosecution (NAB) successfully established all the ingredients of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices against Nawaz Sharif as defined under section 9 (a) (v) of the NAO 1999 read with section 14 (c).
“Thereof as per the charge framed for holding and being true and real beneficial owner of the assets, the Al Azizia Steel Company Limited (ASCL), the Hill Metal Establishment (HME) and related remittances, beyond his known sources of income as he failed to establish contrary thereto.”
The order said Nawaz Sharif and his sons – Hussain and Hassan – are very closely related and members of a tightly knit, monolithic, patriarchal family with close association and jointly held financial business interests. There is nothing on record to suggest that there is any hostility between the three.
It also held that claim of Sharif that he has no beneficial interest or share in ASCL is unsubstantiated, false and fabricated and his son Hussain Nawaz was never the exclusive nor real and beneficial owner.
The latter essentially being a mere benamidar of his father who was holding his father’s share in ASCL but in reality for the benefit of his father who was true and real beneficial owner,” said the judgment.
The court is not satisfied that pattern and manner in which remittances were made between 2010 and May 2017 cannot reasonably be characterised as genuine and bonafide gifts from a son to his father.
The remittances are made at regular intervals at times almost on monthly basis suggesting these are not a regular source of income from an owned business without which Sharif could not be able to maintain himself.
It said Sharif ostensibly received these gifts to free him from any financial constraints given his full time involvement in politics but in actual fact admits to having utilised about 70 percent thereof as owned disbursement to his daughter, Maryam.
“The record suggests that money was circulated through HME and Hussain Nawaz to the accounts of Nawaz Sharif under the garb of gifts and factually it was a device for equitable shares in the assets and money of accused (Nawaz) being father to his children,” said the order.
The court said evidences shows that Nawaz over a sustained period received the lion’s share (in excess of 88 per cent) of the stated net profit of the HME and this fact establishes that Nawaz is a beneficiary of major portion the fruits (net profit) of HME.
“The true and real beneficial owner of ASCL was and HME is the accused No1 (Nawaz Sharif) his elder son and absconding co-accused was merely an ostensible owner holding the said assets for the benefit and enjoyment of his father,” said the order
The court said it is established from the record that an aggregate amount of Rs272.54 million and $52,460 dollar have also been remitted by the HME to the account of its employee Muhammad Hanif Khan during the period 2010 to 2015 and an amount of Rs173.455 million was remitted by HME to one Anjum Iqbal Ahmed Akhtar during 2013 to 2017.
“An amount of Rs36.715 million has been sent by HME into account of Abdur Razzaq from November 2016, Rs11.991 million remitted by HME to Muhammad Anees and $52,460 remitted by the HME to Khawaja Haroon Pasha.”
The order said throughout the trial proceedings Sharif raised legal objections regarding the banks documents but he neither during cross examination nor his statement under section 342 CrP C he has questioned the correctness of the figured amounts having been remitted from HME or Hussain Nawaz in his accounts being maintained in different banks.
Remittances of dirham 12,67,856 and $1,02,19,155 were received by Sharif from his elder son Hussain Nawaz and from the HME during the period from January 2010 to June 2017 and these foreign currency receipts were converted and credited to his rupee accounts which translates to Rs1.187 billion.”
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