Sharif to be indicted on Oct 13; daughter, son-in-law get bail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif failed to appear on Monday before an anti-graft court which set October 13 as the date of his indictment even as the daughter and son-in-law of the embattled premier were granted bail in the Panama Papers case.

Maryam Nawaz, 43, along with her spouse, former army captain Muhammad Safdar, returned to Islamabad late last night from London to appear in the Accountability Court.

Safdar was arrested on his arrival as the the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrant against the former Pakistan Army Captain.

Both appeared separately in the accountability court of Judge Muhammad Bashir here.

Sharif and his two sons were absent during the hearing as they are in London to attend his wife Kulsoom who is battling throat cancer.

Sharif had attended the previous two hearings but flew to London last week to see his ailing wife, who underwent a third surgery.

The court accepted the bail applications of Maryam and Safdar and postponed the hearing till October 13, according to court officials.sharif ’s lawyer Khawaja Harris asked the court to adjourn hearing for 15 days with commitment that Sharif would also appear. The court rejected the plea announced that it will indict the accused during the next hearing.

The court also ordered to start the process of declaring Sharif ’s sons — Husain and Hasan — proclaimed offender as they have failed to appear before it so far.