Hussain, Hassan declared fugitive by accountability court

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday declared ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons – Hussain and Hassan – absconders over their perpetual absence from proceedings, ARY News reported.

Judge Muhammad Bashir granted the request of the NAB prosecutor who asked him to initiate proceedings to declare the absconding accused proclaimed offenders and order attachment of their properties.

The prosecutor said Hussain and Hassan have failed to appear before the court despite issuance of non-bailable warrants for their arrest.

Earlier, the judge granted bail to Maryam Nawaz and her spouse retired Captain Muhammad Safdar against a surety bond of Rs5 million each.

Safdar was taken into custody by NAB shorty after he landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport along with his wife Maryam in the early hours of Monday morning.

The judge rejected the Nawaz Sharif’s plea for exemption from appearing before the court and directed him to show up on next hearing.

He fixed Oct 13 for indictment of Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law.

Khawaja Harris, the counsel for the former prime minister, told the judge that his client couldn’t appear because he is in London, taking care of his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

Maryam and her spouse returned to Pakistan to appear in accountability court in connection with a reference related to the Sharif family’s flats in a posh London neighbuorhood.