Graft case: Sharif in UK, won’t appear in court for ‘indictment’

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is not expected to appear before the accountability court for hearing of a corruption case on October 9, sources said. The court is likely to indict Mr Sharif on this date.

Mr Sharif flew to London on October 5 to be with his wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is recovering post cancer surgeries. According to sources, the return date on Mr Sharif’s ticket was that of January, indicating that he might not return for court hearings.

Earlier, he was elected as the president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) over a month after his disqualification as the premier.

The Central Executive Committee of the political party re-elected the ousted PM as the president following an amendment in the electoral rules that previously barred any disqualified leader to lead a front.

Sources said that he would not attend the hearing of an assets beyond means case against him in an accountability court on October 9 for being in London at the time.

The former Premier attended the last two hearings in Islamabad and flew to London after his visa was extended.

Mr Sharif was disqualified as the Premier on July 28 this year by the apex court in a corruption case pursued by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Jamaat-eIslami and Awami Muslim League after Panama Papers published a leak in April 2016. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was sworn in the days that followed and a new cabinet was put in place.

PML-N won the by-polls that were held in disqualified premier’s constituency, NA-120 on September 17. Kulsoom Nawaz was nominated the ruling party’s candidate opposite those of Pakistan Tehrik-eInsaf, Pakistan People s Party and other parties.