Anti-graft body freezes bank accounts of Nawaz Sharif, family
NEW DELHI : Pakistan’s top anti-graft body on Friday froze the bank accounts and seized the properties of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members who are facing corruption and money laundering charges.
Sharif, 67, stepped down after a Supreme Court bench disqualified him on July 28 from continuing in his office for dishonesty in the Panama Papers scandal and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children.
The Accountability Court, which is hearing the corruption cases against the Sharif family, today summoned Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law capt (retd) Safdar to appear before it on September 26.The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) displayed the summons and property attachment notices on the Sharifs’ residence in Raiwind.
Sharif along with his children is in London to see his ailing wife Kulsoom. There are speculations that the Sharif family may not return to face the NAB corruption cases. The ruling PML-N, however, insisted that Sharif would return once his wife’s health improves.
“We have written to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and commercial banks requesting them that since Sharif and his children and son-in-law Safdar are facing the NAB references, their bank accounts may be cautioned,” a NAB official told PTI today.
Facing corruption and money laundering charges, Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law capt (retd) Safdar were asked by The Accountability Court to appear before it on September 26.
While speculation is rife that he may not return, the ruling PML-N party has assured otherwise. The NAB had already also frozen the properties of finance minister Ishaq Dar for having assets beyond his known sources of income. Bailable arrest warrants have been issued for the minister who is currently in London as well. (With Inputs from PTI ).
