NAB to approach court to declare Nawaz proclaimed offender in Mir Shakil case

NAB completed all legal formalities to issue former PM's arrest warrants, say sources

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to approach the court to declare former prime minister Nawaz Sharif proclaimed offender in illegal land allotment case involving Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur Rehman, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The 70-year-old Sharif family patriarch is facing multiple graft charges and currently in London on bail for medical treatment.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune on Sunday that the NAB's Lahore chapter has completed all legal formalities to issue his arrest warrants and it will plead the accountability court in Lahore to declare him proclaimed offender over non-cooperation in the investigation.

They said the decision was taken after the former premier, who is one of the accused in the illegal allotment case, failed to appear before the bureau multiple times and did not submit satisfactory answers to the NAB's questionnaire.



According to anti-corruption watchdog, Rahman had illegally acquired 54 plots, each measuring one kanal, at Canal Bank in H-Block of Lahore’s Johar Town in 1986 in connivance with then Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif.

Under the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) rules, exemption could be granted for 15 plots only. However, 54 plots were exempted in a single block on approval of Nawaz, who was then the Punjab CM.

Under the exemption policy, 70% of the land was supposed to remain with the LDA but it was never transferred.