NAB opposes closing references against Sharif brothers

Raiwind assets, Hudaybia Mills, Ittefaq foundries references part of corruption worth Rs1 billion, says chairman NAB.

LAHORE:
 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Fasih Bokhari, in his answer submitted to the Lahore High Court, opposed closing references against the  Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) top leadership, adding that the  Sharif brothers' request should be disposed of, Express News reported on Tuesday.

Bokhari, in his statement, said that Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif were involved in corruption worth Rs1 billion in all three cases and had not returned their loans yet.

He also said that according to the law, NAB holds the right to reopen references at any given time and conduct a hearing.

The court had earlier issued a notice to NAB to submit a statement as per the petition filed by the Sharif brothers for closing the three references pending against them.


The three references, Hudaybia Paper Mills, Ittefaq Foundries and illegal assets in Raiwind, are still pending in the accountability court.

NAB had filed an application to reopen these cases which was denied by the court and adjourned the case sine-die. NAB in 2010 again moved an application for recommencement of these cases but once again NAB’s plea was rejected.

Meanwhile, the Sharif brothers moved the Lahore High Court through a writ petition in October 2011 against these references. The court granted a stay order in favour of the Sharif brothers.

Chairman NAB has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of NAB’s Prosecutor General Accountability to review the reference forwarded through the Crises Management Cell of the ministry of Interior.

The committee is at its final stages to formulate the recommendations in the said case. These recommendations would then be presented in the Executive Board Meeting for further proceedings.
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