LAHORE – Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family on Sunday again refused to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigators at Lahore office to join investigation regarding London flats, local media reported.
The bureau had issued summons to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar on Friday for investigation regarding reference related to the Sharif’s Avenfield properties
Lahore NAB DG Saleem Shehzad and other members of team waited for them at office till 2pm despite Sunday.
On August 18, the NAB had summoned the Sharif family for enquiry regarding Al-Aziza Steel Mills but no one appear before the court citing pending review petitions against Panama Papers verdict announced on July 28.
However, the legal team of Sharif family had submitted a letter to NAB stating the same issue.
“My client Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has been apprised of the above cited notice today and instructed me to convey his inability to appear before the Combined Investigation Team as has already filed a review petition against the judgment dated 28.07.2017,” read the letter.
‘No More Summons’
It is being reported that NAB team has decided that no further notices will be issued to the Sharif family asking them to appear before the investigators.
GEO News quoted sources as saying that NAB will file a reference on the basis of information received through the report of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team.
However, sources said, it was not mandatory to arrest the people in order to file a reference, adding that the decision regarding arrest will be made by the apex court.
‘Supreme Court Orders’
On July 28, Supreme Court of Pakistan declaring the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif disqualified on Friday had ordered National Accountability Bureau to file references against the members of Sharif family and decide it within six weeks.
The 5-o verdict had been announced by a five-judge bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa – the same judge who had commenced his dissenting note in the April 20 judgment with a quote from Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather and declared Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ‘disqualified’ for being dishonest to the nation.
The court ordered the NAB to file references against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz, Captain (r) Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar within two weeks.
The court also disqualified Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Captain (r) Safdar from office in the landmark decision.
The larger bench also directed the NAB to decide the cases within six months.
