IHC asks NAB to submit Nawaz’s tax details

Orders accountability watchdog to provide data in shape of charts by next week

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit within a week the income tax and wealth tax details of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpath Jail.

A division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani issued this order on Tuesday while hearing NAB’s appeal against an accountability court’s December 24, 2018 verdict to acquit the former prime minister in Flagship Investment reference.

NAB had filed three corruption references – Avenfield, Al-Azizia and Flagship – against Nawaz Sharif and his family members in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 verdict in Panama Papers case.
Later, accountability courts in Islamabad convicted Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases but acquitted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s supreme leader in Flagship Investment case. NAB later challenged the verdict in the IHC.

During hearing on Tuesday, NAB Prosecutor Jahanzeb Bharwana read out the accountability court’s verdict. He argued that Nawaz Sharif had been holding various public offices including that of Punjab chief minister, finance minister and prime minister in the past.

Nawaz was accused of concealing his assets, he said, adding that he had provided funds for Flagship Investment, adding that there was no evidence that Hassan and Hussain Nawaz – Nawaz’s sons – had been sending money to their father.

Justice Kiyani noted that there were 13 companies under the Flagship Investment. “Is Nawaz Sharif a shareholder in any of these companies?” he questioned. NAB prosecutor answered that the accused was both a shareholder and chairman of the Flagship Investment’s board.

Justice Kiyani said the prosecution had to prove that the accused had been a beneficiary of this investment. NAB's Deputy Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said Nawaz Sharif had been receiving AED 10,000 from the Flagship company.

The bench asked whether it was a crime to receive salary. NAB prosecutor argued that all these points had been discussed in the trial court. The prosecution's actual case was that 'the accused persons' assets did not match with their sources of income. The court, however, asked NAB officials to submit income tax and wealth tax details of former prime minister in a chart form within one week.