The Lahore High Court. - File Photo

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to return property documents of the Sharif family seized in 2001 to recover fine imposed on PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif in two cases.

The bench comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan passed the order while allowing seven identical petitions of the Sharif family against NAB for not releasing their property documents.

The Sharif family in their petitions filed through Shahid Hamid submitted that the NAB was not releasing their properties seized in 2001, surrendered to recover fine imposed on PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif by an accountability court and an anti-terrorism court in plane hijacking and purchase of a Russian helicopter cases.

They submitted that the conviction was set aside by the Supreme Court on Oct 30, 2000 but despite repeated applications the NAB was not releasing their seized properties and resorted to coercive measures against them.

They prayed the court to issue directions for returning the seized documents.

In today’s proceedings, the bench asked NAB’s counsel to justify holding of property documents despite the fact that the conviction was set aside by the Supreme Court.

However, the counsel could not satisfy the court in this regard.

After hearing the arguments, the bench allowed the petitions and ordered NAB to return property documents of the Sharif family.