Nawaz Sharif likely to be arrested in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

LAHORE: Incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to be arrested in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported on Thursday, citing sources.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation team has sought approval from Chairman Justice retd Javed Iqbal to arrest Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, said sources.

The decision was made after a joint investigation team of NAB has maintained that Nawaz Sharif was not cooperating with the investigating team in an ongoing probe related to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team will present PML-N supremo before the accountability court after arrest, added sources.

Earlier in the day, an accountability court granted permission to the NAB team to quiz the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo in an ongoing probe related to Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

NAB Prosecutor, Hafiz Asad Awan pleaded the NAB court to allow them to grill former PM, which was accepted by the court.

It may be noted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz and Yousaf Abbas are already being investigated in the reference by the accountability bureau.

Elder Sharif was made part of Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation, in the month of August, by the NAB.

Chaudhry Sugar Mills case:

In a press conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had said the Sharif Family had used Chaudhry Sugar Mills for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares.

During the probe, it was revealed that a $15 million loan was taken on the pretext to set up the mill despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired, the special assistant claimed. He had added that the loan was never transferred to Pakistan as shown by the record of the State Bank of Pakistan.

He had said more than Rs7 million worth of shares were transferred to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz in 2008 through mill’s shares, which were later transferred to Yousaf Abbas Sharif in 2010.