ISLAMABAD: The judge of an accountability court attached properties and assets owned by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) furnished a report before the court.

According to the report, Mr Sharif owns more than Rs200,000 in four active bank accounts and a small amount of foreign currency in three other bank accounts.

Besides these seven active accounts, he has a dormant account in Allied Bank, New Garden Town branch, Lahore, in which the balance amount is Rs397,810.

The report says that Mr Sharif owns Rs88,150 in MCB Bank, New Garden Town branch, Lahore; Rs16,917 in Standard Chartered Bank, Gulberg branch, Lahore; Rs20,431 in Standard Chartered Bank, Wapda Town branch, Lahore; and Rs88,704 in Alfalah Bank, Defence branch, Lahore, besides EUR566 in a euro currency account, $658 in a dollar currency account and GBP498 in a pound currency account in another bank.

Ex-PM has Rs200,000 in four active accounts, according to anti-graft body

As per the report, “letters were issued to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for provision of record”.

The SECP reported that Mr Sharif holds 467,950 shares in Mohammad Buksh Textile Mills Limited, 343,425 shares in Hudabiya Paper Mills, 22,213 in Hudabiya Engineering Company and 48,606 in Ittefaq Textile Mills Limited.

The report says: “The reports received from Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Additional Deputy Commissioner Lahore, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sheikhu­pura, Assistant Commissioner Murree, and Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) revealed that the accused Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif owns following immovable properties in his own name and in the name of his dependents.”

These properties include 135, Upper Mall, Lahore; agriculture land in Mouza Manak, Badokisani, Mall Raiwind, Slutankay Lahore, Mouza Mandiali Ferozwala and Ferozwattan in Sheikhupura district; a bungalow at Hall Road, Murree; and a house at Chhangla Gali in Abbottabad district.

As per the NAB record, Mr Sharif owns a Toyota Land Cruiser, model 2010; two Mercedes cars of models 1973 and 1991, and two tractors of models 2011 and 2015 in his name.

NAB told the court that in case of receipt/verification of information about any other property owned by the PML-N supremo, a report would be submitted to the court.

Accountability court judge Mohammad Azam Khan had issued order for attachment of these properties.

The judge had earlier declared Mr Sharif an absconder in Toshakhana reference on Sept 9 and sought details of the properties owned by him.

Besides Mr Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani along with others are also accused in the Toshakhana reference.

The reference alleges that Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif obtained cars from Toshakhana by paying 15 per cent of the price of the cars. Mr Gilani facilitated them in this regard as he dishonestly and illegally relaxed the procedure for acceptance and disposal of gifts, issued by the government vide Cabinet Division’s memorandum No.9/8/2004-TK dated June 25, 2007, which expressly stipulates that such vehicles would not be allowed to be purchased by the recipients and would be given to the central pool of cars of the Cabinet Division.

The reference further states that Mr Zardari received two armoured vehicles as gift from the United Arab Emirates (BMW750 Li, model 2005, and Lexus Jeep, model 2007) and another from Libya (BMW 760 Li, model 2008) in September-October 2008. It was obligated to immediately report and deposit the vehicles with Toshakhana of the Cabinet Division, but he neither reported the gifted vehicles nor deposited them.

The NAB reference says that Mr Sharif did not hold any public office in 2008. However, from April to December 2008, without giving any application or request to the then prime minister Gilani, he dishonestly and illegally obtained relaxation for his benefit of the procedure under the Cabinet Division’s memorandum.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2020