The Free Press Journal

Pak’s apex anti-corruption body summons Sharif, sons

- M ZULQERNAIN

Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his two sons have been summoned by the country’s top anti-graft body to appear before it on Friday for interrogat­ion in connection with the money laundering and corruption cases.

The National Accountabi­lity Bureau (NAB) on the directive of the Supreme Court issued summons to Sharif and his sons – Hussain and Hasan – to interrogat­e them in its Lahore office in connection with their offshore properties revealed by the Panama Papers case.

On July 28, the five-member bench of the Supreme Court had disqualifi­ed Sharif for possessing a work permit in the firm of his son in the UAE.

The apex court had also directed the NAB to investigat­e money laundering and other corruption charges against Sharif and his children, son-in-law Safdar and relative federal finance minister Ishaq Dar in light of thereporto­f theJointIn- vestigatio­n Team. The NAB confirmed that Sharif and his sons have been directed to appear before NAB’s Lahore office on August 18.

The NAB said that it will take up the reference against Sharif’s close aide Ishaq Dar on August 23 and summons has been issued to him.Sharif, however, has not yet decided to appear before the NAB.

“Nawaz Sharif is considerin­g boycotting the NAB proceeding­s because he thinks it is very much likely that like the Panama Papers case he may not get justice in its case as well,” a PML-N senior leader told PTI.

He said Sharif has already expressed his concern over a Supreme Court judge who is supervisin­g the NAB’s investigat­ion against him, fearing that he (judge) will ensure adverse verdict against him in the accountabi­lity court.

“Sharif will discuss the NAB summons with his confidants on Thursday before making a final decision about his appearance in NAB,” he added.

 ?? AFP ?? Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif
AFP Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India