NAB closes investigation into Sharif trust case

Nawaz, his family members were accused of committing corruption in name of trust

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has closed the investigation against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the Sharif trust case.
Nawaz, who was elected the prime minister of Pakistan thrice in his political career, returned to the country in Oct 2023 after four years of self-imposed exile in London to restart his political journey ahead of the general elections scheduled for Feb 8.
Nawaz was ousted in 2017, during his third stint as the prime minister of Pakistan and in 2018 was sentenced to a seven-year prison term on multiple charges of corruption. In 2019, he was released on bail due to his health problems and allowed to seek treatment.
The anti-graft body on Tuesday gave the approval to stop five inquiries, including investigation into the Sharif trust case against the former prime minister and his family members, which were given the green-light in the executive board meeting held on Jan 1.

Read more: NAB Amendment Bill 2023 comes into effect

In the executive board meeting held here, the inquiries approved for closure include Punjab Safe City Authority, Social Action Programme, Park Enclave and others.
The investigation into the Sharif trust case against Nawaz and his family members has also been closed after being approved on Jan 1.
In the executive board meeting, it was informed that the approval of the investigation into the Sharif trust case was ongoing since March 31, 2000, in which it was alleged that the Sharif family members had created benami property in the name of the trust and the accounts of the trust were tampered with and also no audit was conducted.
Apart from this, in the Sharif trust case, the Sharif family members were accused of secretly receiving millions of rupees in the name of the trust.
After the approval in the meeting, NAB closed the investigation into Sharif trust case under Section 31B of the National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2022.
The amended law gives the NAB chairman authority to close the inquiries started under any other law.