An accountability court in Lahore has declared PML-N founder Nawaz Sharif proclaimed offender in an illegal allotment case.
The court has summoned complete records of the assets owned by Nawaz and his family members.
The judge asked if anyone has appeared on Nawaz’s behalf. The NAB prosecutor said that no one has.
The court decided to hear Nawaz’s case separately from the reference. A copy of the reference has been issued to the respondents.
On October 10, proclamation notices were posted outside Nawaz’s Jati Umra residence and court office over Nawaz’s continuous absence from the trial.
Al-Azizia and Avenfield references
The summons notices of former PM Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield cases have been posted in newspapers.On October 8, the Islamabad High Court ordered that the advertisements be posted in Daily Dawn and Jang newspapers, adding that the fees will be paid by the federal government.
The advertisement says that Nawaz has till November 24 to appear in court. If he fails to surrender, it will result in a declaration by the court under the Criminal Code.
Nawaz had been sentenced to seven and 10 years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield flats references respectively. The former premier’s sentence in the Al-Azizia reference was suspended. He has filed an appeal seeking its annulment.
The National Accountability Bureau has filed appeals to increase his sentence to 14 years in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case. It seeks an end to the suspension of Nawaz’s sentence in the Avenfield case too.
In October 2019, the IHC had granted Nawaz bail on humanitarian grounds. The government allowed him in November 2019 to leave the country to get medical treatment in London after his health deteriorated. He hasn’t returned since.
His bail expired in February 2020. Last month, the IHC issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz. But the warrants were not received by the ex-premier.
Toshakhana reference
On September 9, former president Asif Ali Zardari was indicted in the Toshakhana reference, while Nawaz was declared a proclaimed offender.
NAB has accused former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani of illegally allotted cars to Nawaz and Zardari.
The accountability watchdog stated that Zardari and Nawaz obtained cars from the Toshakhana by paying only 15% of the price of the luxury vehicles.
It also alleged that Gillani had facilitated the allotment of the vehicles to Zardari and Nawaz by illegally relaxing the rules.
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