ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will meet here today (Wednesday) to finalize sending references against Sharif family and Ishaq Dar to the Rawalpindi accountability court.
The meeting of the board will be presided over by NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry. The board is likely to approve all the four references against Sharif family and Ishaq Dar.
According to sources, the accountability court’s administrative judge will forward two references to the accountability court in Rawalpindi and two others to the accountability court in Islamabad.
According to sources, the executive board will also discuss whether a ‘last chance’ should be issued to Nawaz Sharif, his children and Dar to join the investigation process or not.
The meeting may also discuss the option of issuing arrest warrants for the Sharif family for failing to appear before the graft watchdog for three consecutive times as NAB chairman has the prerogative in this regard.
Sources also claimed that NAB chairman has rejected the recommendations of NAB Lahore and Rawalpindi offices to freeze assets of the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. He also rejected the recommendations to place the names of Sharif family and Dar on the exit control list (ECL).
Sources say that Sharif family has informed NAB of their inability to join the investigation, terming it ‘mere eyewash’. Besides, the Sharif family and Ishaq Dar have also taken the plea that since verdict on their review petitions against the Supreme Court’s July 28 judgment is pending, they will only appear before NAB after decision on their review petitions is announced.
The references are related to the Sharif family’s flats in London and their two steel mills in Saudi Arabia. Former finance minister Ishaq Dar faces an inquiry over keeping assets beyond known sources of income. Three references each against Nawaz, Hussain, Hassan; two against Maryam; one each against Capt (r) Safdar and Ishaq Dar, will be filed.
According to NAB, a reference related to the Avenfield House properties (flats 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield House, Park Lane, London) will be filed against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz as well as Captain (r) Safdar.
A second reference, related to the establishment of Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, will be filed against Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz.
The third reference will be filed against Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz. Another reference will be filed relating to the companies mentioned in ninth paragraph of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Panama Papers case.
The fourth reference is being filed against Ishaq Dar for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income. NAB has relied on the JIT’s report and the reports of other investigations already conducted by it or the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Published in Daily Times, September 6th 2017.
