Sharifs’ omissions come to light

Accountability Bureau says family members of former PM failed to furnish proof about sources of income

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz could not provide proof of their income sources, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi said yesterday.

Abbasi, while presenting his final arguments in Avenfield properties case, told the court that the Sharif family had failed to prove its sources of income. He also told the court that Maryam Nawaz had concealed facts, and further charged that the accused individuals had tried to mislead the investigating agency.

The remarks were made during the hearing of the Avenfield reference against Sharif and his family by Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir.

The Avenfield reference, concerning the Sharif family’s London properties, is one of the three cases filed against the Sharif family by the national anti-graft body last year on the Supreme Court’s directives.

The NAB prosecutor further remarked that Hussain Nawaz moved into the London flats in 1993 and even paid utility bills, while Hasan Nawaz had shifted to the flats in 1994. “Mohammad Nawaz Sharif was the actual owner of Gulf Steel Mills,” he also added.

Exemption plea

Nawaz who appeared before the accountability court earlier, left after marking his attendance. As the hearing got under way, Maryam and Captain (retd) Safdar’s lawyer Zafar Khan filed a one-day exemption plea for his clients as Safdar was in Mansehra to obtain nomination papers for the elections.

Judge Mohammad Bashir, who was presiding over the case, approved the request. The hearing was set for today.

On Tuesday, the accountability court dismissed Nawaz Sharif’s petition requesting for final arguments in all the three references against the Sharif family to be heard together.

Sharif’s counsel Sa’ad Hashmi said that his client would file an appeal against the order of accountability judge Bashir before the Islamabad High Court and said the prosecution had misled the court, leading it to fix the Avenfield reference for final arguments without closing of evidence in the other two references.

Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption references in the accountability court — Avenfield Properties, Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments — which accuse them of money-laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.

Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-inlaw Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.

Hasan and Hussain have been declared proclaimed offenders by the accountability court for repeated failure to appear before the court since last year.

The three references have been filed by the NAB against the Sharif family in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict.