ISLAMABAD: Amid tight security, cartons full of documents from the NAB regional offices were ushered through the Islamabad Accountability Court on Friday where four references have been filed against the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
If convicted, the accused can face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.
The prosecution team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reached the court in Sector F-11 along with the documents to submit the references with the registrar of Judge Mohammad Bashir.
Sources said the other judge of the accountability court , Nisar Baig, has been transferred to Lahore after completion of his term.
The references have been filed in light of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s July 28 decision in the Panama case. NAB filed three corruption references against Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam, sons Hussain and Hasan, son-in-law MNA Safdar, and one against Dar.
NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family. The bureau’s Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income. Sources said NAB has decided not to file the Hudaibia Paper Mills case as the apex court’s order regarding it is unclear and has sought legal assistance over the matter.
According to reports, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry rejected recommendations by the bureau’s regional chiefs in Rawalpindi and Lahore to freeze assets of Sharif family members and Dar.
Chaudhry also rejected the recommendation to add the names of Sharif, Hasan, Hussain, and Dar on the ECL. INP
